Altogether five poll officials — three presiding officers and two micro-observers — were suspended on Tuesday for failing to report booth capturing in Tripura West constituency on April 11. Tripura West constituency returning officer (RO) Sandeep Namdeo Mahatme issued a notice saying during the scrutiny of some of the documents and video recordings, the manifestation of some persons directly vitiating the poll process were predominantly apparent on polling day. Speaking to reporters, Mahatme said, “We have suspended 16 officials in total till now, including nine presiding officers and seven micro-observers and have also lodged FIR. According to the Election Commission’s instructions, those who do not submit the report regarding booth capturing have to be suspended”. After the first phase of election in Tripura West constituency the Congress and the CPM complained against large scale rigging, booth capturing and violence. They also demanded repolling in the constituency. The suspension orders were served by assistant returning officer Sudhakar Shinde against presiding officers Goutam Debnath, Giridhari Das and Pramode Chandra Sen and micro observers Sangram Sinha and Bhasan Chandra Das. The notice said Sinha, a professor of Tripura University, didn’t report any incident of poll interruption or poll vitiation, which can be termed as a wilful negligence of election duties.