Police stated the the accused, Suraj Patil, was making photocopies of SIR kinds. Picture for illustration solely
| Picture Credit score: Ramakrishna G.
5 booth-level officers (BLOs) have been suspended after an area BJP employee was caught on Thursday (August 27, 2026) photocopying greater than 3,400 Particular Intensive Revision (SIR) electoral kinds containing voter particulars at a store in Navi Mumbai.
A case was filed on the morning of August 28, a senior Kharghar police official stated.
In response to District Collector Kishan Jawale, the Electoral Registration Workplace acquired a criticism that the accused, Suraj Patil, was making photocopies of SIR kinds.
“Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have been despatched to analyze the criticism, the place they caught Patil making unlawful photocopies of three,400 enumeration kinds at a photocopy centre in Sector 19, Kharghar. The EROs registered the crime at Kharghar police station,” Mr. Jawale stated.
5 BLOs who have been accountable for handing these enumeration kinds to Mr. Patil have additionally been suspended, he stated.
Kharghar police rushed to the scene and took the alleged BJP office-bearer into custody. All of the printed enumeration kinds have been seized from the premises and brought to the police station.
In response to police, Shiv Sena (UBT) employees confronted the person and claimed he was an office-bearer of the BJP’s Youth Wing. The seized paperwork consisted of genuine SIR kinds from the 188 Panvel meeting constituency, containing voters’ images, private particulars, and official BLO signatures.
The Kharghar police have registered a primary data report (FIR) in opposition to Mr. Patil underneath related sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Illustration of the Individuals Act.
Mr. Patil was detained and served a discover as per commonplace authorized process earlier than being launched, police stated.
Sena (UBT) employees alleged that Mr. Patil managed to flee the Kharghar police station shortly after being introduced in for questioning. The incident triggered a conflict between Shiv Sena (UBT) and BJP activists.
Opposition leaders cry foul
Shiv Sena (UBT) office-bearer Balesh Bhojane questioned how SIR kinds stuffed out by unusual voters reached non-public people and alleged that BJP youth wing functionaries have been linked with the incident.
Nevertheless, Panvel Municipal Company Mayor and BJP chief Nitin Patil claimed that celebration employees had no reference to the matter.
Opposition NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar stated suspension of the BLOs was not sufficient and alleged that the incident uncovered the style during which the SIR course of was being carried out.
“We now have been saying that the BJP is utilizing this course of to make sure its ballot victory and this incident proves us proper,” he stated.
Mr. Pawar alleged he had sought a response from the Election Fee over the incident, however the authorities had handed the accountability to the Election Fee of India.
(With inputs from PTI)
Revealed – August 29, 2026 08:05 am IST
