The Delhi Police has registered a case against six individuals in connection with forgery in Voter ID card applications for the purpose of new voter registration and address shifting after the Election office flagged such suspicious cases to them in outer north Delhi’s Narela Industrial Area.
On Tuesday, the Election Commission flagged six such suspicious cases to the Delhi Police, following which the police registered cases under section 318 (4) (Cheating) and Section 3 (5) (joint liability) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
“It is to inform you that certain applicants have submitted online applications for voter registration through Form-6 and Form-8 by fraudulent means. These applicants have uploaded false documents, which have been tampered with, in support of their applications,” the letter by the Election Registration Officer of Matiala assembly constituency area said.
The accused name includes Sampat, Shanti, Pramila Devi and Rajdhar Singh, for submitting forged Aadhar Card, in Dwarka Sector 17. Further, it also the accused have been identified as Bulbul Kumari and Inderjeet, for submitting a forged electricity bill in Bindapur area.
“The Delhi Police, Shaheen Bagh police station, has registered a case following a complaint received from the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of AC-52 (Matiala). The complaint highlights serious instances of forgery in voter ID card applications, where fake documents were submitted by four individuals for the purpose of new voter registration and address shifting,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer North) Nidhin Valsan said.
He added that the applicants attempted to misuse these documents for shifting their registered address for voting purposes and registering as new voters in the constituency. “The investigation is ongoing to identify the accused individuals and any possible accomplices or networks involved in these fraudulent activities,” the DCP added.
In its letter, the ERO said, “It has been found that the applicants have attempted to deceive the authorities by tampering with documents, including Aadhar Cards and electricity bills, as proof of identity and residence.”
Describing it as ‘a serious offence’, it added that the applicants have intentionally provided false information and documents to manipulate the electoral roll. “The Representation of the People Act, 1950, and other relevant laws prohibit such activities and provide for penalties for those found guilty,” it said.
The ERO asked the police to take prompt action to investigate the cases and prevent such fraudulent activities in the future. “The police is requested to verify the documents and information provided by the applicants and take necessary actions against those found guilty of tampering with documents,” the letter read, while also providing supporting documents as evidence.