Jharkhand SIR: 3 Afghan Nationals Found On Jamshedpur Voter List; BJP Raises Questions

The three names have now been removed from the electoral roll, while the district administration and police have been asked to investigate the matter and initiate legal action.

Three Afghan nationals have been identified as voters in Jamshedpur during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Jharkhand.

Source : PTI

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Three Afghan nationals found listed as voters in Jamshedpur.
• Document discrepancies during verification confirmed their Afghan citizenship.
• Authorities removed names; ordered probe into their voter registration.
• BJP questioned Election Commission's verification process after discovery.

Three Afghan nationals have been found listed as voters in Jamshedpur during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Jharkhand, prompting the Election Commission authorities to order their removal and seek further action.

The three voters — Asil Khan, Mohammad Aslam and Mohammad Ibrahim — were registered in the Jamshedpur East Assembly constituency. Their names had appeared in the existing electoral roll and were also retained in the draft voter list after they completed the enumeration process.

However, discrepancies found during document verification resulted in notices being issued to the three. When they failed to provide the required documents, officials examined their passports and found that they were citizens of Afghanistan.

Three Afghan Nationals Identified In Jamshedpur East

According to the district election authorities, the three names were listed at polling station part number 286 in Jamshedpur East. Asil Khan, Mohammad Aslam and Mohammad Ibrahim were listed at serial numbers 30, 31 and 33 respectively, as per local media reports.

The issue came to light during the verification process conducted as part of the SIR exercise. Although the three had completed enumeration and their names appeared in the draft electoral roll, discrepancies in the documents triggered further scrutiny.

Officials subsequently issued notices to the three voters. Their inability to produce the required documents led authorities to verify their passports, following which they were identified as Afghan nationals.

Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer K Ravikumar confirmed that three foreign nationals had been identified and said their names had been removed from the voter list.

Names Removed, DC and SSP Asked To Investigate

Ravikumar said the matter had been referred to the district administration and police for investigation and necessary action.

The office of the Chief Electoral Officer is directing the Jamshedpur deputy commissioner and senior superintendent of police to examine how the three foreign nationals came to be enrolled as voters and take appropriate legal action.

Authorities will also investigate whether other foreign nationals have been included in the state's electoral rolls.

The case is likely to put the spotlight on the verification process and how the three individuals were able to enter the electoral roll in the first place.

BJP Raises Questions Over Voter Registrations

The development has also triggered a political response from the BJP. Party chief spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo described the identification of the three Afghan nationals as “shocking” and “deeply disturbing”.

Referring to the ongoing SIR exercise, Shah Deo questioned how three people holding Afghan passports could have been included in the voter list in Jharkhand. He also raised questions about the Election Commission's ability to independently verify the details of voters.

The BJP spokesperson linked the development to earlier allegations concerning the inclusion of Bangladeshi and Rohingya nationals in electoral rolls and questioned how Afghan nationals had also managed to become registered voters.

The authorities, meanwhile, have removed the three names and initiated the process of investigation, with the district administration and police expected to determine how the registrations occurred and whether further action is warranted.