FIR against 32 in Bhalki over alleged false Form-7 objections
A complaint has alleged that 3,244 voter names were challenged during SIR through Form-7 applications without supporting documents.
CH NEWS BIDAR Bhalki Town Police have registered an FIR against 32 people following a complaint alleging that Form-7 applications were submitted without valid supporting documents to object to voters’ names during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The development comes amid wider concerns over bulk Form-7 objections in Karnataka. The case was registered based on a complaint filed by Muhammad Atiq Ahmed, who alleged that objections were submitted against around 3,244 voters, including himself, seeking to classify them as shifted or absent. Ahmed said his name was listed in Booth No. 1 in Masoompasha Colony, Bhalki, and that he had voted in general and local elections since 2004. He also said he was selected as a nominated member of the Bhalki City Municipal Council in 2024. According to the complaint, the objections were submitted between September 21 and 22. When Ahmed and other voters approached the Electoral Registration Officer’s office on September 27, officials reportedly informed them that the applications had been scrutinised following their submission by Booth Level Officers on September 25. Notices were subsequently issued to the objectors, asking them to appear for hearings and produce documents supporting their claims. The complaint alleged that some of those served notices neither appeared nor submitted the required documents. In view of the unusually large number of objections, the Electoral Registration Officer reportedly conducted a preliminary inquiry at the Bhalki Tahsildar’s office on September 29. Ahmed alleged that the applications concerning him and 3,243 other voters were submitted without authenticated documents and without the knowledge of the voters concerned. He further alleged that the accused used different mobile numbers in the applications, falsely claimed that eligible voters had shifted or were absent, and allegedly forged signatures. The allegations form part of a broader Karnataka SIR controversy involving bulk Form-7 objections. Officials have said a Form-7 application does not automatically result in deletion and that objections must undergo scrutiny and due process.
