Kota, Oct 31 (PTI) An assistant engineer posted on poll duty as Returning Officer in the Sarpanch election in Kota

Kota, Oct 31 (PTI) An assistant engineer posted on poll duty as Returning Officer in the Sarpanch election in Kota

Kota, Oct 31 (PTI) An assistant engineer posted on poll duty as Returning Officer in the Sarpanch election in Kota

    Kota, Oct 31 (PTI) An assistant engineer posted on poll duty as Returning Officer in the Sarpanch election in Kota district's Kukdakhurd allegedly died of a heart attack during the counting of votes, officials said on Saturday.

    Suresh Meena, an assistant engineer at Kota Thermal Power Station, was a native of Kanwas area in the district. He was living with his family in Kota and was serving as the Returning Officer during the Sarpanch election in Kukdakhurd Gram Panchayat on Friday, they said.

    According to police, while the counting of votes was underway on Friday night, Meena suddenly collapsed from dizziness. The police immediately administered CPR and rushed him to Modak Hospital, where doctors referred him to SRG Hospital, Jhalawar. The doctors administered CPR and electric shocks around 9 pm. However, he could not be saved.

    Following the emergency, counting was briefly disrupted before the reserve returning officer and other staff resumed the process, ultimately declaring the results late at night, with Sandeep Singh elected as sarpanch by a margin of 195 votes.

    Meena's body was later brought to Kota's New Medical College Hospital for post-mortem, which was conducted on Saturday morning. Subsequently, the body was handed over to family members.

    Meena is survived by his wife and two children, they said.

    Modak Station House Officer Rajendra Prasad Meena said the police lodged a case under relevant sections of BNSS for investigation to ascertain the actual cause of death.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)