In a move aimed at ensuring the integrity of the electoral process, the Election Commission of India (EC) has ordered the immediate suspension of two Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) in Uttar Pradesh. The directive, issued on Sunday, comes in the wake of significant irregularities discovered within the voter rolls of the Pilibhit Assembly constituency, where over 10,000 entries were flagged for lacking the required supporting documentation.
The suspended officers, identified as Mayank Goswami and Hemant Chaudhary, were instructed to be removed from their duties immediately. In a formal communication addressed to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer, Navdeep Rinwa, and the state's chief secretary, the poll body mandated that the chargesheets prepared against the two officials must be submitted to the commission for careful vetting. Furthermore, the EROs cannot be reinstated to their positions without express approval from the central election authority.
The controversy centres on a probe which found that between May 31 and August 29, 2026, a computer assistant at the voter registration centre processed 13,779 applications using Form-8, which is typically used for seeking changes in voter details. Of these requests, 10,470 were approved while 3,309 were rejected. Crucially, investigators discovered that there were no application forms or accompanying supporting documents on record for these entries, raising concerns about the validity of the modifications. Additionally, complaints had surfaced reporting that multiple voters were discovered possessing identical Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers.
Beyond the immediate suspensions, the Election Commission has taken steps to escalate the legal proceedings. It directed authorities to include Section 198 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita—which pertains to public servants disobeying the law with the intent to cause injury—in the existing First Information Report (FIR). This charge is to be applied to the two suspended officers as well as Anil Kumar, the computer operator at the voter registration centre involved in the data processing.
The commission has now initiated a wider accountability process. It has requested a detailed report from the District Election Officer (DEO) of Pilibhit regarding the scrutiny of electoral rolls across all four assembly constituencies in the district. This report, which must include specific comments from the Chief Electoral Officer, is expected to be delivered within a week. Furthermore, the commission has demanded an action-taken report concerning the computer operator, along with a comprehensive review of the roles played by five Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) in the Pilibhit constituency, to be submitted within three days.
Recognising the potential for similar issues elsewhere, the Election Commission has expanded its scope beyond Pilibhit. It has issued a directive to all district election officers and EROs across Uttar Pradesh, mandating a thorough re-examination of electoral rolls under their jurisdiction. The focus of this audit is specifically on the data feeding processes for additions, deletions, and modifications made through Forms 6, 7, and 8. The poll panel has emphasised that these administrative tasks must be conducted with strict adherence to established protocols to maintain the accuracy of the voter database.
As the administration moves to rectify these anomalies, the case remains under active oversight. The commission has made it clear that it expects authorities to pursue the registered cases in court with rigour. This incident serves as a significant administrative intervention by the national poll body, highlighting the necessity for transparency and meticulous record-keeping in the management of electoral rolls as the state prepares for future electoral exercises.
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