Jharkhand Voter Verification Raises Questions After Three Afghan Names Surface
SIR finds three Afghan nationals listed in Jharkhand voter records.
The names of three Afghan nationals were found on the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Jharkhand, prompting the Election Commission to remove the entries and order a detailed investigation. The names were identified at polling station number 286 in the Jamshedpur East Assembly constituency. The development has also triggered a political dispute, with the opposition BJP questioning the process through which the names were added to the voter list.
According to officials, the three names identified on the electoral roll were Asil Khan, Mohammad Aslam and Mohammad Ibrahim. Their names appeared at serial numbers 30, 31 and 33 respectively in the electoral roll for the polling station. Following the discovery, the Election Commission directed that the entries be removed and instructed authorities to investigate how the names of foreign nationals came to be included in the electoral records.
Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar described the inclusion of foreign nationals in the voter list as a serious matter. He indicated that the investigation would examine who assisted the three men and the process through which their names were entered into the electoral roll. The Deputy Commissioner and Senior Superintendent of Police in Jamshedpur have been directed to conduct the probe, with officials also examining whether anyone else was involved in facilitating the entries.
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The investigation will focus on the documentation and verification procedures used during the enrolment process. Officials are also examining whether the three names represent isolated cases or whether other foreign nationals could have been included in electoral rolls. Authorities have indicated that legal action will follow if individuals are found to have deliberately facilitated the inclusion of ineligible names.
The development has become a political issue in Jharkhand, with BJP state spokesperson Sandeep Verma targeting the JMM-Congress government over the matter. Verma reiterated the BJP’s allegation that attempts are being made to include the names of Bangladeshi infiltrators in electoral rolls for political gains and called for strict action against those responsible. The allegation remains part of the political debate surrounding voter-list verification in the state.
The Election Commission’s investigation is expected to establish how the three entries were created and whether any officials, intermediaries or other individuals were involved. The case has also renewed attention on document verification and safeguards used while preparing electoral rolls. Until the investigation is completed, the circumstances behind the inclusion of the three names and the extent of any possible irregularity remain subject to official inquiry.
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