Three Afghan nationals found in Jharkhand voter list; EC orders probe

The Election Commission has ordered a district-level investigation in Jharkhand after three individuals identified as Afghan nationals were found in the draft electoral roll for Jamshedpur East. The discovery was made during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a process designed to update and correct voter data.

Arnav Mishra, Sub-Divisional Officer and Electoral Registration Officer for Jamshedpur East, said the three cases came to light during document verification. Each applicant had submitted a passport as their primary supporting document—one of eleven acceptable proofs under the SIR framework. However, when these passports were forwarded to the passport office for authentication, they were found to be invalid, and the holders were confirmed to be Afghan nationals.

According to Mishra, one of the three passport verifications has already been formally rejected by the passport office, with rejections for the remaining two expected shortly. The matter has been escalated to the Chief Electoral Officer, and a detailed inquiry is now underway at the district level.

Mishra stated that no First Information Report has been filed yet, as authorities are still establishing the facts. He noted that if the investigation reveals deliberate wrongdoing, legal action will follow. He also pointed to provisions of the Representation of the People Act, which make the submission of false or fake documents during electoral processes a punishable offence.

While stressing that the probe is ongoing, Mishra assured that all concerned authorities are aware of the situation and that appropriate action will be taken once verification is complete.

Separately, a recent investigation in Jharkhand's Godda district has highlighted concerns over bulk Form 7 applications seeking voter deletions, with several targeted names belonging to Muslim residents. At least four Booth Level Officers flagged these applications as procedurally suspect. Many of the voters marked for removal were found to have lived in their villages for generations, with some having been verified during the 2003 intensive revision. Following these findings, district election authorities in Godda have initiated an inquiry into the submissions at a booth in Maheshtikri village.