Section 9B in The Jammu and Kashmir Representation of the People Act, 1957
9B. [ Observer. [Inserted by Act IX of 2014, section 2.]
(1)The Election Commission may nominate an Observer who shall be an officer of the Government to watch the conduct of election or elections in a constituency or a group of constituencies and to perform such other functions as may be entrusted to him by the Election Commission.(2)The Observer nominated under sub-section (1) shall have the power to direct the Returning Officer for the constituency or for any of the constituencies for which he has been nominated, to stop the polling at any time on the day of polling, if in the opinion of the Observer booth capturing has taken place at a large number of polling stations or at places fixed for the poll or any ballot paper used at a polling station or at place fixed for the poll is unlawfully taken out of the custody of the Returning Officer or is accidentally or intentionally destroyed or lost or is damaged or tampered with.(3)Where an Observer has directed the Returning Officer under this section to stop polling, the Observer shall forthwith report the matter to the Election Commission and thereupon the Election Commission shall, after taking all material circumstances into account, issue appropriate directions under section 68A or section 74A or section 76.Explanation. - For the purposes of sub-section (2) and sub- section (3), "Observer" shall include a Regional Commissioner or any such officer of the Election Commission as has been assigned under this section the duty or watching the conduct of election or elections in a constituency or group of constituencies by the Commission.]
