IMPHAL: In a case that has the potential to kick up much controversies, a General Observer of Election died suddenly in Manipur today while in an 'unofficial' visit to the border towns Moreh and Tamu, over 100 km from Imphal.
Sources said the officer along with three other poll observers went to the border town without informing the authority concerned this morning, probably for marketing.
Chandra Bhanu (50), an IAS officer of 1993 batch (UP cadre) from Lucknow came to Manipur as a General Observer of Election. He along with three others including one D P Yadav, also a General Observer of the Election, Kumar Das, Election Observer (Security) and Atul Hamad, Assistant Observer started from Imphal at around 6 am today for Tamu and Moreh in six vehicles including that of the security without informing the authority concerned, the sources said.
On the way, Chandra Bhanu became unwell and he was made to rest at a government bungalow at Moreh while the three others proceeded to Tamu. At around 2:30 pm the three returned to Moreh after the marketing and picked up Chandra Bhanu. On the way back, Chandra Bhanu's condition worsened and on reaching Khudengthabi Assam Rifles post, they stopped and got examined the condition of Chandra Bhanu at the military hospital. The doctors there told that the officer's condition was quite serious and advised them to rush to Imphal. Around 4:30 pm, they reached Imphal and admitted Chandra Bhanu at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS), Imphal but the doctors there declared 'brought dead', the sources said.
The three officers accompanying Chandra Bhanu refused to give any comment to the media. The chief minister of Manipur, the chief secretary, the diretor general of police, and high ranking officers rushed in to JNIMS on learning the news. Chief secretary PC Lawnkunga was believed to have sent a crash message to the Election Commission of India. The Post Mortem is likely to be performed before 7 am on Sunday before the dead body is transported by a flight to Lucknow.
