New Delhi:

A Flying Squad officer has been suspended for dereliction of duty while checking the vehicle of DMK candidate A Raja from the Nilgiris, sources said on Saturday.

They said the Election Commission took action against the official as such a “soft” attitude towards high profile persons could disrupt the level playing field.

Media reports claimed that the inspection of Raja’s convoy was lax at an interstate checkpoint near Coonoor.

Sources said that based on media reports and subsequent enquiries, by the Nilgiri election official and expenditure observer, the flying captain was suspended for finding lapses in the discharge of election duties.

The entire flying squad was replaced.

Expenditure observers also visited the site to conduct inquiries. Sources said he watched two videos recorded by a video surveillance team.

They added that both the news video and the VST video showed casual and superficial censorship.

Other vehicles in the convoy were not inspected at all.

Sources said all political parties and candidates found violating the model code will be dealt with sternly to ensure free and fair polls.

The action against the woman official comes days after a video went viral in which a female tourist was seen pleading with election officials to return nearly Rs 70,000 confiscated by them, citing model codes.

Authorities later returned the money to the family.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)