JAC seeks comprehensive probe into bulk pre-printed Form 7 applications in Telangana
Hyderabad: Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Joint Action Committee (TG & AP JAC) urged Director General of Police C.V. Anand on 17 October to order a comprehensive and impartial investigation into alleged bulk Form 7 applications. The pre-printed forms allegedly seek deletion of voters’ names from electoral rolls in Telangana. The JAC also wants a forensic examination of the forms.
JAC president and Tahreek Muslim Shabban president Mohammed Mushtaq Mallik submitted a representation to the DGP, Telangana State Police, Hyderabad, on Friday. He raised serious concerns over the reported submission of such applications. He also sought a probe into whether an organised operation was behind their preparation. That operation would involve common software, databases, voter information or bulk-printing facilities.
JAC cited a case at Polling Booth No. 210 in Musheerabad. BJP Booth Level Agent S. Balachander reportedly submitted approximately 30 Form 7 applications there against Congress BLA Shafiuddin and members of his family. According to the representation, the voter particulars and addresses in the applications had already been printed. The JAC said this raises questions over the source and method of preparation of the forms.
The organisation asked the DGP to examine the Musheerabad case and other similar reported cases in coordination with the election authorities concerned. The representation also referred to similar bulk Form 7 cases reported in Bengaluru, Karnataka, where FIRs had reportedly been registered. The JAC said these developments warranted a thorough investigation. It wants to know whether a common software system, database or organised bulk-printing operation had been used.
Bulk Form 7 applications: JAC seeks forensic examination
JAC requested the DGP to send the original Form 7 applications to the Forensic Science Laboratory. It wants the laboratory to examine the printing methods, similarities among the applications and other relevant forensic evidence. It also sought identification of the source of the software, database, voter information and printing facilities allegedly used to generate the forms in bulk.
The representation further asked the police to investigate who commissioned, prepared, printed and distributed the applications. This, it said, should include any persons or organisations operating beyond the booth-level agents. The JAC said the investigation should not stop at the individual BLA level. It asked investigators to establish the root cause, identify the source of bulk printing and determine whether a coordinated operation was involved.
JAC also expressed concern over reports regarding the centralisation of approximately 4,400 ERO-related powers or functions. It cited the difficulties eligible voters might face in getting their names included in electoral rolls. The JAC asked the police to verify the reported centralisation. It also asked them to examine whether it had affected eligible voters’ access to inclusion procedures.
JAC referred to Sections 22 and 23 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. It stated that the Electoral Registration Officer decides on correction, deletion and inclusion of names in electoral rolls, subject to applicable legal procedures. It stressed that Booth Level Agents cannot independently approve or delete voters’ names.
JAC also sought appropriate legal action, in accordance with law, against persons found responsible for any offences. Mallik urged the DGP to conduct a comprehensive and impartial investigation. He also asked him to protect eligible voters from wrongful deletion and safeguard the integrity of the electoral process. The representation included copies of relevant Form 7 specimens, an FIR copy, complaints and supporting reports.
