Jharkhand: FIR Against Four Over Alleged Forged Papers for Voter Registration
Jharkhand election officials filed FIRs against four individuals and a CSC operator in Pakur for allegedly using forged residential certificates to register as voters.
Election authorities in Jharkhand have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against four individuals in the Barharwa block of Pakur district for allegedly attempting to enrol as voters using forged documents. A separate FIR was filed against a Common Service Centre (CSC) operator accused of preparing the fraudulent papers.
The action came during a four-day visit by Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) K Ravi Kumar to the Santhal Pargana region to physically verify complaints linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. On Saturday, Kumar inspected cases in Barharwa, which falls under the Pakur Assembly constituency.
According to the CEO's office, the four accused — Rubeida Bewa, Rabi Sheikh, Pintu Sheikh, and Sentu Sheikh — submitted residential certificates that were allegedly forged. The documents were reportedly provided to them by Mohammad Salim, who operates a local Common Service Centre.
Kumar said he personally visited the homes of the accused in Ahut village and examined both their residential status and the paperwork submitted for voter registration. He directed officials to conduct a detailed verification of all suspected cases.
Following the on-ground checks, an FIR was lodged against the four applicants, while a separate case was registered against the operator. Kumar instructed officials to pursue strict legal action against anyone attempting to enter the electoral rolls with fake documents, as well as those who facilitate such attempts.
"The accuracy and credibility of the electoral rolls cannot be compromised," Kumar said. He emphasised that the SIR's objective is to ensure no eligible Indian citizen is excluded while preventing the inclusion of ineligible or foreign nationals.
The CEO assured that every serious complaint received regarding the electoral rolls would be investigated objectively and impartially. "If an investigation establishes that a person deliberately submitted incorrect or forged documents, action should be taken under the applicable legal provisions," he added.
The development follows a recent investigation in neighbouring Godda district that flagged a pattern of bulk Form 7 applications seeking deletion of voters, with many targeted names belonging to Muslims. District election authorities in Godda have since initiated an inquiry into those submissions.