Election Commission Suspends Two Former Magistrates Over Pilibhit Voter List Irregularities

PILIBHIT — The Election Commission of India has suspended former Sub-Divisional Magistrates Mayank Goswami and Hemant Chaudhary over severe procedural irregularities discovered in the voter list of the Pilibhit Sadar assembly constituency.

In addition to the suspensions, the Commission has directed that Section 198 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), pertaining to public servants disobeying law to cause injury or dereliction of duty, be added to an existing First Information Report (FIR) filed against the two officers and a computer operator. The administrative crackdown follows intense scrutiny over the handling of offline voter registration forms, which prompted local political parties to submit memoranda and hold press conferences demanding strict action over anomalies in Sadar assembly constituency 127.

The inquiry centers on the processing of 13,779 offline forms received between May 31 and August 28. Official records show that 10,470 of these forms were accepted while 3,309 were rejected without adhering to prescribed administrative procedures or maintaining proper records.

The punitive measures stem from an inquiry report submitted by District Magistrate Alok Kumar on October 23, followed by a formal communication from the Chief Electoral Officer on October 24. After the state government placed both officers on a waitlisted status, District Magistrate Alok Kumar officially relieved them from their duties in the district. Furthermore, the District Election Officer has initiated proceedings to terminate the services of VRC computer operator Anil Kumar following a show-cause notice.

The investigation is widening to examine broader administrative lapses connected to the voter list revision. The roles of five Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) and the integrity of the electoral roll revision processes across approximately 150 booths are currently under scanner. DM Alok Kumar has submitted a detailed report on these aspects to the Election Commission.

An FIR was previously registered at Kotwali Nagar on October 22, based on a complaint lodged by Assistant District Election Officer Krishna Kumar Kashyap against the two former SDMs and computer operator Anil Kumar.

Under the directives issued by the Commission, the charge sheets for the suspended Electoral Registration Officers will be forwarded directly to the panel for examination. The officers cannot be reinstated without prior clearance from the Election Commission, while decisions regarding the accountability of the five AEROs will also be finalized at the central commission level. Prosecution in the case will be pursued through the relevant courts.