Voter List Fraud: EC Suspends Two Pilibhit SDMs
The Election Commission orders the suspension of two SDMs in Pilibhit after thousands of voter list modifications lacked documentation.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken a stern stand against administrative negligence and potential fraud, ordering the immediate suspension of two Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) in Pilibhit. The action comes after a shocking discovery of massive irregularities in the voter list of the Pilibhit Sadar assembly constituency, where thousands of modifications were made without any supporting evidence.
The Officers Under Fire
The crackdown targets Mayank Goswami and Hemant Chaudhary, who were serving as Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) for the constituency. The Commission has not only ordered their suspension but has also mandated that chargesheets be issued against both officials. In a move to ensure accountability, the ECI has explicitly stated that neither officer can be reinstated to their position without prior authorization from the Commission.
A Trail of Missing Documents
The gravity of the situation came to light during an investigation into assembly constituency number 127. The findings revealed a suspicious pattern of activity between May 31 and August 29:
- 13,779 applications were filed via Form-8 to modify voter details.
- 10,470 of these applications were approved.
- 3,309 applications were rejected.
The most alarming discovery was that the physical forms and the necessary supporting documentation for these thousands of applications were completely missing from the office, leaving no paper trail for the changes made to the electoral roll.
Political Outcry and Voter Complaints
The investigation was triggered by a wave of complaints from local voters who discovered that their details had been altered without their consent. Reports included the unauthorized changing of names and fathers' names, as well as the wrongful deletion of eligible voters from the list.
Major political entities, including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, had formally flagged these irregularities, prompting the Election Commission to intervene.
Criminal Charges and Blocked Transfers
The fallout has extended beyond administrative suspension. A criminal case has been registered at the City Kotwali police station, naming both SDMs and a computer operator as accused.
Interestingly, the officers had narrowly escaped the immediate fallout on Friday when a government transfer list reassigned Hemant Chaudhary as Special Officer on Duty at the Uttar Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority and Mayank Goswami as Settlement Officer in Lucknow. However, by Saturday, the administration pivoted, placing both officers on "waitlist status" instead of allowing them to join their new postings, paving the way for the formal suspension ordered by the Election Commission.