Three Afghan nationals have been found among voters listed in the draft electoral roll prepared during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Jharkhand, prompting the Election Commission to order a detailed investigation into how their names were added to the voter list, as reported in India Today.
The case was detected in the Jamshedpur East Assembly constituency during the verification of documents submitted as part of the SIR exercise. The three individuals have been identified as Asil Khan, Mohammad Aslam and Mohammad Ibrahim.
Their names were already included in the electoral roll and they had completed the enumeration process during the SIR. However, discrepancies were detected when their documents were subsequently verified. Their names were then placed on the notice list and notices were issued to them seeking additional documents.
The three individuals failed to produce the documents sought by the authorities. During further verification, their passports were found, with the documents indicating that they were Afghan citizens.
Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar confirmed that three foreign nationals had been identified in the case. He said the citizenship status of one individual had been confirmed, while the other two were suspected to be foreign nationals.
Kumar said the names of all three had since been removed from the voter list. He said election authorities had ordered a detailed inquiry into how the names of foreign citizens had entered the electoral roll and would also investigate who had facilitated their inclusion.
The Chief Electoral Officer said criminal action would be initiated against anyone found to have been involved in the process. He said helping foreign nationals obtain inclusion in the electoral roll constituted a criminal act.
The investigation will also extend to the family members of the three individuals. Their documents will be examined to establish their citizenship status and verify whether similar discrepancies exist in their records.
The Jamshedpur Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police are expected to take further action based on the findings of the investigation.
Authorities are also examining whether other foreign nationals may have been included in voter lists elsewhere in Jharkhand. Kumar indicated that more such cases were suspected and said the ongoing investigation would examine that possibility.
The probe will focus on the entire process through which the three individuals’ names entered the electoral roll, including their enumeration during the SIR and the subsequent document verification. Investigators will also seek to establish whether anyone facilitated the inclusion of their names and whether other individuals were involved.
The three names have already been deleted from the voter list, while the detailed investigation into the matter is underway. Legal action is expected against those found responsible.
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