Ranchi: A complaint filed before the Election Commission has alleged that a voter enrolled in Jharkhand’s Rajmahal assembly constituency is the same person whose details appear in Bangladesh’s electoral records under another name. The allegation is being examined by election authorities.The complaint names the voter as Atur Sheikh, also recorded as Atur Sekh, and claims he is listed in Part 372, Serial No. 51 of the electoral roll for Paschim Pranpur in Sahibganj district. It includes copies of the Jharkhand electoral roll and documents claimed to be from Bangladesh’s electoral records, where a voter named Md Ataur Rahman is listed.Chief electoral officer K Ravi Kumar said the complaint was received about a month ago and that a notice had been issued to the voter. “He has not appeared before the election authorities. During field verification, officials found that he was not living at the Rajmahal address,” Kumar said.Officials said the voter’s wife told the verification team that he works in Mumbai. Kumar said the woman’s electoral status was also being examined.“If the couple fails to produce the required documents, their names could be deleted from the final electoral roll,” he said. The final roll is scheduled to be published on Oct19 after the ongoing Special Intensive Revision.The electoral registration officer is examining whether the voter fulfils the requirements of Indian citizenship, being at least 18 years old and ordinarily residing in the polling area.Kumar said the ERO would pass a reasoned order after examining the evidence. He also said there was no provision for referring the matter to Bangladesh’s Election Commission.The complaint claims that Bangladesh records show Md Ataur Rahman, born on Jan 1, 1970, as the son of Md Azar Ali and Amena Begum. It alleges that he later secured enrolment in the Indian electoral roll using forged documents.The complainant has sought verification of the voter’s identity and documents, deletion of the electoral entry if the allegations are proved, and action against those responsible. The complaint also refers to cases in Radhanagar and Barharwa police stations. The relevance of these cases to the complaint has not yet been established.
