Amid SIR Row, Pakistani Women Found With Indian Voter ID Cards In Bihar's Bhagalpur

As Bihar prepares for elections, two Pakistani women in Bhagalpur were found to possess Indian voter IDs. A Home Ministry investigation revealed they had overstayed their visas.

The Bihar SIR has revealed that two Pakistani women had been issued Indian voter ID cards.

Source : PTI

With barely a few months remaining for the Bihar Assembly elections, a startling case has emerged during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list. Authorities have discovered that voter ID cards were issued to two Pakistani women living in Bhagalpur district. The revelation came to light during an investigation by the Union Home Ministry, reported Navbharat Times.

The ministry's team was tracing foreigners overstaying their visas in India when it confirmed the presence of three Pakistani nationals in Bhagalpur. Among them, two women were found living in the Ishakchak police station area, specifically in Bhikhanpur Gumti No. 3, Tank Lane.

Home Ministry And Police Investigation

Following the Home Ministry's report, the state police headquarters directed the Bhagalpur SSP to conduct a probe. Investigations revealed that both Pakistani women had 'valid' Indian voter ID cards, complete with EPIC numbers. The finding triggered an alarm within the administration. The Special Branch SP has sought a detailed report from Bhagalpur DM Naval Kishore Choudhary and the SSP. The DM has confirmed that the process of removing both women's names from the voter list is already underway.

Who Are These Pakistani Nationals?

According to the investigation report, one of the women is Firdousia Khanam, the wife of Mohd Tafjeel Ahmed. Originally from Rangpur in present-day Bangladesh, she entered India on a three-month visa on January 19, 1956. Back then, Bangladesh was known as East Pakistan. The second woman, Imrana Khanam alias Imrana Khatoon, daughter of Ibtul Hasan, had also come to India on a three-year visa.

In addition to the two women, the probe identified another Pakistani national, Mohammad Aslam, who arrived in India on May 24, 2002, with a two-year visa. He has since managed to obtain an Aadhaar card.

All three have been living in India for years, well beyond the expiry of their visas, raising serious questions about how official documents were issued in their names.