The Mumbai Cyber Police, on Saturday, filed an FIR against a social media user Syed Shuja for allegedly spreading misinformation about tampering of electronic voting machines (EVMs) after receiving a complaint from Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer. Earlier, the Election Commission of India had also filed an FIR against Shuja with the Delhi Police for similar reasons, a senior ECI official said on the condition of anonymity.
According to this official, Shuja is not based in India and “letters have been written to relevant authorities to pursue the matter”. Shuja’s Twitter profile claims that he is based in Dallas (Texas).
The FIR in Mumbai was filed for violating section 318(4) (cheating with punishment of a jail term of up to seven years and/or a fine) of Bharatiya Nyay Samhita (BNS), 2023, and sections 43(g) (for providing assurance to illegally access a computer resource) and 66D (punishment for cheating by personation by using computer resource with punishment of a jail term of up to three years and/or fine of ₹1 lakh) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
“EVMs are Tamperproof. EVM is a standalone machine that cannot be connected to any network including any Wi-Fi or any Bluetooth by any person whatsoever. Therefore, question of manipulating EVMs does not arise. EVMs are completely tamper-proof. Hon’ble Supreme Court on multiple occasions has reposed their faith in EVMs,” the Maharashtra CEO’s office said in a public statement.
“In a similar incident involving false claims, an FIR was lodged on the direction of the Election Commission against the same person in 2019 in Delhi who is hiding in some another country,” the statement read.
{{/usCountry}}“In a similar incident involving false claims, an FIR was lodged on the direction of the Election Commission against the same person in 2019 in Delhi who is hiding in some another country,” the statement read.
{{/usCountry}}“Delhi and Mumbai Police are actively investigating and taking necessary steps to identify and apprehend anyone within India who is in contact with such individuals or complicit in these malicious activities,” the senior official cited above said.