The election department has adopted a stern stance following the emergence of significant technical flaws and irregularities within the voter list of the 127-Pilibhit assembly constituency in Uttar Pradesh. The development has triggered immediate administrative scrutiny and direct accountability measures from top election authorities.
Action Triggered by Party Complaint
An official complaint regarding the matter was formally submitted on Wednesday, October 21, by the Congress party. The grievance highlighted that entering certain voter ID card numbers, known as EPIC numbers, into the online search portal resulted in the display of completely different voter details. Acknowledging the gravity of this technical anomaly, the Chief Electoral Officer of Uttar Pradesh immediately ordered a thorough inquiry.
Verification Through District Election Report
Following the completion of the inquiry, the report submitted by the District Election Officer of Pilibhit confirmed the validity of the complaints. The investigation verified that searching specific voter EPIC numbers online was indeed pulling up the personal details of entirely different individuals, exposing a critical database management lapse.
Direct Penalties and Legal Action Against Officials
Viewing the breach with utmost seriousness, the Chief Electoral Officer directed the immediate correction of all errors within the electoral roll. Consequently, the Electoral Registration Officer and the VRC operator for the Pilibhit assembly segment have been removed from voter list duties with immediate effect. Directives have also been issued to initiate strict legal proceedings against them under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, along with relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Furthermore, a comprehensive report has been demanded to fix individual accountability concerning the assistant electoral registration officers of the constituency.
Statewide Verification Ordered Across All Districts
Treating the Pilibhit incident as a critical warning, the Chief Electoral Officer instructed the district election authorities in Pilibhit to thoroughly audit the electoral rolls of all assembly segments across the district and submit a detailed report within two days. Expanding the scope beyond a single district, similar directives have been dispatched to the District Election Officers across all districts in Uttar Pradesh, requiring them to inspect voter lists in every assembly constituency under their jurisdiction and report back within the same two-day timeframe to ensure absolute accuracy statewide.
