KARACHI: Rangers personnel on Thursday arrested five individuals, including three presiding officers, on suspicion of casting bogus votes, in polling stations in NA-246 constituency.

Presiding officer Syed Majid Ali was handed a three-month jail sentence and fined Rs5000, whereas another presiding officer Rehan Ahmed was awarded a six-month imprisonment and a Rs5000 fine.

The fine and sentence were awarded by the paramilitary force using magisterial powers.

Later, two civilian voters were also arrested from Delhi School for casting bogus votes. Separately a female presiding officer was arrested from Zubeida Hajiana School.

The arrested persons have been handed over to police who are currently interrogating them.

Although 14 candidates are in the run, but the NA-246 by-poll is largely expected to be a three-way contest between Kanwar Naveed Jameel of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Imran Ismail of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Rashid Naseem of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI).

The said constituency is considered to be an MQM bastion because its headquarters Nine Zero is located there and the party had emerged victorious in all three previous general elections in 2002, 2008 and 2013 and in a by-election in May 2004. It comprises Federal B. Area, Federal Capital Area and parts of Liaquatabad.