3,400 SIR forms found at Navi Mumbai photocopy shop, five BLOs suspended

Five Booth Level Officers were suspended after 3,400 enumeration forms related to the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls were found at a photocopy shop in Navi Mumbai, triggering a clash between Shiv Sena (UBT) and BJP activists, police and district officials said.

The Sena (UBT) workers confronted a man, who they claimed was an office-bearer of the BJP’s Youth Wing, while he was allegedly getting SIR forms photocopied at a shop in the Kharghar area, police said on Friday. A BJP leader from Panvel said that the party workers had no connection with the matter.

A video related to the controversy went viral on Thursday, following which the matter drew attention. The administration subsequently initiated an inquiry into how the forms filled by voters reached a private photocopy centre.

Local police rushed to the scene and took the alleged BJP office-bearer into custody. Authorities also seized thousands of printed SIR forms from the premises and transferred them to the police station.

Sena (UBT) workers, meanwhile, alleged that the detained BJP youth leader managed to flee the Kharghar police station shortly after being brought in for questioning.

Raigad District Collector Kishan Jawale on Friday said a case has been registered against Suraj Patil under the Representation of the People Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The authorities took action after the forms, pertaining to voters in the Panvel Assembly constituency, were found at the shop.

Jawale visited the office of Panvel Sub-Divisional Officer Pawan Chandak after taking serious note of the matter. The five BLOs were suspended pending disciplinary proceedings, he said.

The matter came to light after complaints were received that SIR applications were being photocopied at a shop in Sector 19, and that Patil was allegedly in unauthorised possession of the forms.

Following the complaint, the Electoral Registration Officer deputed Assistant Electoral Registration Officers to the photocopy centre. During the inspection, they found that Patil had brought 3,400 applications to the shop.

The scrutiny showed that the forms belonged to 11 polling stations. A majority of the applications were from five polling stations, while single copies were found from six other polling stations.

Shiv Sena (UBT) office-bearer Balesh Bhojane questioned how SIR forms filled out by ordinary voters reached private individuals and alleged that BJP youth wing functionaries were connected with the incident.

However, Panvel Municipal Corporation Mayor and BJP leader Nitin Patil claimed that party workers had no connection with the matter.

Opposition NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar said suspension of the BLOs was not enough and alleged that the incident exposed the manner in which the SIR process was being conducted.

“We have been saying that the BJP is using this process to ensure its poll victory and this incident proves us right,” he said.

Pawar alleged he had sought a response from the Election Commission over the incident, but the authorities had passed the responsibility to the Election Commission of India.

“Suspending only the BLOs is not enough. The authorities who instructed them should also be suspended, and action should be taken against the BJP workers involved,” Pawar added.

He said there could be many such incidents which have not been detected, and sought a response from the Election Commission.