Suspected voters list leak in Kerala: Crime branch registers case- The New Indian Express

Suspected voters list leak in Kerala: Crime branch registers case
As per the complaint, the data of 2.67 crore voters was leaked. The complaint was filed by the Joint Chief Electoral Officer.


Published: 03rd July 2021 12:35 PM | Last Updated: 03rd July 2021 12:35 PM | A+A A-
EVM, Voting, ElectionRepresentational Image. (Photo | Debadatta Mallick, EPS)By Express News Service
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state crime branch has registered a case based on the complaint by the state election commission in connection regarding voters list leak in the assembly elections.

As per the complaint, the data of 2.67 crore voters was leaked. The complaint was filed by the Joint Chief Electoral Officer.

The case was registered invoking relevant sections of IT act, conspiracy and theft. Investigation will be carried out by Crime branch Thiruvananthapuram SP, A Shanavas.

The FIR says the data of voters was leaked from the laptop in the state election commission office in the capital.

The double voting controversy triggered after this data theft.

The controversy started when the then Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala released a list of more than four lakh alleged double and bogus voters on a website.

As per the information on the a single constituency had 4,029 duplicate voters.

On March 25, Chennithala had moved the High Court seeking to restrain fake and multiple entry voters from participating in the April 6 polls to the state legislative assembly.

He had claimed in the plea that scrutiny of the voters' list would prove that more than 4,34,042 fake and multiple-entry voters are spread over 131 assembly constituencies in the state.

He had subsequently applied to the High Court to issue an interim order directing the Election Commission to ensure that fake and multiple entry voters in the electoral roll are not permitted to exercise franchise in the polls.

He had also sought a writ of mandamus directing the initiation of criminal action against those responsible for facilitating fake/multiple entries in the electoral roll.