5 BLOs suspended over 3,400 SIR forms found at Kharghar photocopy centre; one booked

The issue came to light on Thursday evening after Shiv Sena (UBT) Raigad district coordinator chief Prasad Bhoir lodged a complaint with the Electoral Registration Office regarding the unauthorised photocopying of enumeration forms at a photocopy centre in sector 19 in Kharghar

PANVEL: Election commission officials on Thursday found 3,400 confidential voter enumeration forms pertaining to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls at a photocopy centre in Kharghar, triggering a confrontation between local BJP and Shiv Sena (UBT) workers, a first information report against a Panvel resident allegedly linked to the BJP Yuva Morcha who was found photocopying the forms, and the suspension of five Booth Level Officers (BLOs) linked to a bulk of the forms.

5 BLOs suspended over 3,400 SIR forms found at Kharghar photocopy centre; one booked

“These are extremely confidential and important election documents. A shocking incident has come to light in Kharghar where such forms were illegally kept in possession and photocopied in direct violation of the law,” Raigad collector Kishan Jawale said on Friday, while briefing reporters about the incident.

The issue came to light on Thursday evening after Shiv Sena (UBT) Raigad district coordinator chief Prasad Bhoir lodged a complaint with the Electoral Registration Office regarding the unauthorised photocopying of enumeration forms at a photocopy centre in sector 19 in Kharghar.

Assistant electoral registration officers subsequently visited the photocopy centre, where they found Suraj Patil, a resident of Murbhi village, photocopying enumeration forms of voters in the Panvel assembly constituency, said Jawale.

In all, election commission officials found 3,400 forms relating to 11 polling stations across Panvel, Jawale said.

The Kharghar police subsequently booked Patil under section 128 of the Representation of the People Act and section 314 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), based on a complaint from the assistant collector.

The five BLOs from whose custody the bulk of the forms had gone missing were also issued show-cause notices and ordered to be suspended, Jawale said. Panvel Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) Pawan Chandak said the forms had been uploaded on August 17 and officials would establish whether the BLOs had kept them at the shop for photocopying.

BJP-Sena (UBT) clash

The discovery of the enumeration forms triggered a confrontation at the photocopy centre on Thursday between Shiv Sena (UBT) workers and BJP Yuva Morcha functionaries.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Balesh Bhojne claimed that Patil, who was found photocopying the forms, was a BJP Yuva Morcha functionary. He also alleged that BJP workers abused, intimidated, pushed them and threatened them with assault.

“The police seized the forms and took Patil to the police station, but he subsequently escaped from their custody,” Bhojne alleged.

Reacting to the controversy, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) alleged the incident was proof of the SIR exercise being undertaken to benefit the BJP.

“This has made it clear how deceptive the SIR campaign is and how it is being conducted merely as a formality. We have repeatedly pointed out how the BJP is trying to lay the foundation for its next electoral victory through this campaign, and today’s incident has, in a way, confirmed those concerns,” NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar said in a post on X.

He further alleged that the ECI was “helping” remove names of voters who supported Opposition parties from the electoral rolls and suggested the SIR exercise be renamed

“Special BJP Voter Confirmation” (SBVC).

The BJP denied any involvement in the incident. Panvel mayor Nitin Patil said, “There is not the slightest connection of BJP workers with this matter. The opposition keeps making allegations as usual. All political parties have helped in the SIR campaign. Information relating to voter registration is available with all political parties.”

The ECI termed the incident a local issue. “It is a local issue and the Raigad collector has taken all the necessary action required in the case,” said S Chockalingam, chief electoral officer (CEO), Maharashtra.

With inputs from Faisal Malik