Official on poll duty in Mumbai passes away

Mumbai: A polling official who was posted in Sewari area in Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency passed away on Saturday.

Preeti Atram-Dhurve, a young employee of Maharashtra government’s cultural affairs department, died while undergoing treatment at a city hospital on Saturday. Her family has claimed that she died after she was made to join election duty despite illness. She was suffering from jaundice.

Mumbai collector Shivajirao Jondhale said: “We would have given leave if she had asked for. Preeti Dhurve was posted in the Sewri Vidhan Sabha area. She had not given any application to the administration regarding her illness.  On the day she started feeling unwell, our officer suggested to her to go to the hospital. But she said she wanted to go home. The officer arranged for her to be dropped to the railway station. She was dropped to the railway station in a taxi arranged by the polling officials.”