JORHAT: Several police personnel and a woman employee of the district administration sustained injuries in a clash between security forces and public during counting of the votes polled in the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) election in Diphu on Thursday.The locals, who had gathered in Diphu in large numbers, claimed that some ballot boxes had been brought to the strong-room from outside in the absence of security persons. Police used lathis and water cannons to disperse the mob. Some people, including police personnel, sustained injuries during the police action.Additional superintendent of police, Karbi Anglong, Pratik V Kumar said, "The incident took place at a counting centre in Diphu on Thursday morning. Some protesters pelted stones at security personnel during counting.""Hundreds of people forcefully entered Diphu Boys' Higher-Secondary School where counting was in progress. They then attacked security personnel indiscriminately, leaving some of us injured. Later, police and CRPF managed to bring the situation under control," added Dipen Das, officer in charge of the Diphu police station.Deputy commissioner and returning officer (Karbi Anglong) Adil Khan clarified that the ballot boxes containing postal ballots had not been kept in the strong-room in the first place. "These boxes were brought to the strong-room before the start of counting. People misunderstood this and began protesting." He added that adequate security forces had been deployed and the situation brought under control.The protesters, however, dismissed the district officials' clarification.

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