Bar Council elections: FIR over ‘ballet tempering’ during counting

New Delhi: Delhi Police have registered an FIR in connection with alleged tampering of ballot papers during the counting process of the Bar Council of Delhi elections, officials said on Thursday

New Delhi: Delhi Police have registered an FIR in connection with alleged tampering of ballot papers during the counting process of the Bar Council of Delhi elections, officials said on Thursday.

Officials added that an internal enquiry by the council has pointed to manipulation aimed at benefitting a particular candidate. (HT)

The added that an internal enquiry by the council has pointed to manipulation aimed at benefitting a particular candidate.

Police said the complaint was filed by the secretary of the Bar Council of Delhi at Tilak Marg police station on Wednesday after “irregularities” surfaced during the counting of votes for the elections held in February this year at the Delhi High Court.

According to police, the alleged tampering came to light during the elimination process when counting resumed. “In several ballot papers, the digit ‘1’ was inserted before the digit ‘2’ in the second-preference column, converting it into ‘12’. Thereafter, the digit ‘2’ was marked in favour of a particular ballot number, allegedly to give undue advantage to one candidate,” an officer said.

The Bar council’s internal probe has identified a member of the counting staff, reportedly a second-year law student at Delhi University, as being involved in the suspected manipulation, police said.

DCP (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma said a detailed probe is underway. “A case has been registered at Tilak Marg police station based on the complaint received from the Bar Council of Delhi. We are examining all aspects, including the role of the identified individual and any possible involvement of others in the alleged fabrication of ballot papers,” he said.

Police have registered a case under sections 318(4), 336 and 340 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. “Further investigation will ascertain the scale of the alleged tampering and whether more people were involved,” Sharma said.