For instance, the matter of 39-year-old Sushama Gupta having six entries in the electoral rolls was posted on X by Alt News journalist Abhishek Kumar. A cross-verification exercise was conducted by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) and has been made public by Venkatesh Nayak, its director. Sushama Gupta, a 39-year-old resident of the Nalasopara assembly constituency in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, appeared to figure six times in the electoral roll, with each entry carrying a different EPIC number as pointed out on X on Tuesday (August 12).

Thereafter, Pratik Sinha founder of Alt News, put out this tweet that educated thousands on how to convert ECI’s unreadable electoral rolls to a readable software.

Soon, the Common Wealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) undertook its own cross verification exercise between 5 to 6:30 pm on August 12, 2025 using the publicly accessible voter list database and the Search in Electoral Roll facility created by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

How did they go about probing?

The aforementioned media report states that the name of one individual Ms. Sushma Gupta figures five times on the electoral rolls of Nilemore locality and once again in the voter list of Tulinj locality of the same Vidhan Sabha constituency. So the CHRI decided to cross check this claim on two fronts:

1) Using the image of the voter list displayed in the media story, CHRI activists keyed in the EPIC numbers mentioned against Ms. Sushma Gupta to see if the ECI’s Voter List Portal throws up any data; and

2) They then downloaded the entire voter list of the Nilemore locality from the same portal to check whether the claim about multiple mentions is true. This voter list downloaded from the ECI’s Portal states that it was last updated on 29/10/2024. Perhaps this list was prepared after the summary revision of the electoral rolls ahead of the Vidhan Sabha elections in Maharashtra on 20th November, 2024.

Caveat: The image displayed in the media report mentioned above contains photographs of voters also. So probably this image might be of the voter lists provided to the polling agent(s) for use on the day of polling. The CHRI was unable to ascertain whether this list with photographs was used during the Lok Sabha polls or the later Vidhan Sabha polls held in Maharashtra in 2024 because the voter list the activists have downloaded from the ECI’s portal does not contain any photographs as per ECI’s policy to protect the privacy of voters.

Findings:

1) The name of Ms. Sushama Gupta (not Sushma Gupta as mentioned in the above media story) occurs multiple times in the attached voter list of 286- Nilemore Polling Station which is located at St. Mary’s High School, Ground Floor, North side, Room No. 9, Nilemore (the complete voter list has also been provided by the organisation;

2) The name of Ms. Sushama Gupta occurs five times (5) on page no. 26 and once on page 44 of the voter list. Out of the five occurrences on page no. 26 only one of them carries the “DELETED” watermark across the entry as of today. This is the entry connected with the 390-Tulinj locality displayed in the image published in the aforementioned media story. All six entries carry different EPIC numbers and all five entries for Nilemore locality are shown as live;

3) In five of these six entries, Ms. Sushama Gupta is shown as a female aged 39 years, whose husband is one Sanjay Gupta, with House No. displayed as Mata Jivdani Chowl;

4) In one of the five live entries, the individual’s name is shown only as “gupta Gupta” (EPIC: WEH8746877) but with the same age, husband’s name and House No. This is intriguing as to how the surname and the first name were allowed to be identical;

5) The image of the voter list with photographs displayed in the aforementioned media report does not match with the voter list downloaded from ECI’s portal in one respect. The serial nos. do not match. In the image displayed in the media report, the serial nos. shown for this individual are: 1316, 1319, 1320, 1321, 1322 and 1323. In the voter list which we downloaded from the ECI’s portal, the serial nos. against which this individual is named are: 712, 715, 716, 717 (DELETED entry), 718 and 1235. This is another intriguing discrepancy. One plausible explanation could be that the image displayed in the aforementioned media report might have been from the voter list used during the Lok Sabha elections held earlier in April-May 2024;

6) When CHRI activists searched the ECI’s database using the “Search in Electoral Roll” facility applying all six EPIC numbers, they found the same name popping up six times today, with the same personal details as mentioned above (the screenshots of the search results are in the 2nd attachment below). The entry shown as DELETED on the Voter list did not contain a similar remark on this database;

7) Last but not the least, when they clicked the “View Details” link given against each entry we found that the same District Election Officer (Mr. Govind Bobde), the same Electoral Registration Officer (Mr. Shekhar Ghadge) and the same Booth Level Officer (Ms. Pallavi Sawant) are named against all these entries (in the 2nd attachment the search result page for each entry is followed by a screenshot of the Voter Details Page). The mobile phone nos. of the ERO and the BLO are also given. It is intriguing that none of these officers discovered the multiple entries at the time of finalising the voter list for two rounds of elections, namely the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabha elections.

This is but one claim of discrepancy being reported by the media which the CHRI has been able to cross check given the very limited human resources available at our disposal. It is hoped that other electoral reforms advocates will cross check other claims about voter list discrepancies and publish their results.

Clearly, the ERO, DEO, the Chief Electoral Officer, Maharashtra and the ECI have much to account for to the citizenry.

Related:

Vote for Democracy: Statistical, legal and procedural irregularities dot Bihar’s controversial SIR process

Bihar SIR: 65 Lakh electors flagged for deletion, SC said “if there is mass exclusion, we will immediately step in”

ECI to SC: Voter ID insufficient for Bihar roll, defends citizenship verification power

Punjab University’s former dean writes to CJI: Bihar SIR threatens democracy, alleges ECI overreach & voter disenfranchisement

Non-Electors Within Electors: ECI reports over 61 lakh potential exclusions

The post Palghar, Maharashtra: One woman voter in six locations, DEO, ERP and BLO common!! appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Since end July 25 and after August 1, when the ECI published the draft first list excluding a staggering 65 lakh voters, the VFD team of experts and legal analysts have scrutinised the ECI’s own data and come up with startlingly inconsistent hike periods of deletions.

VFD released this data today through a Facebook live event. The entire report and power point presentation may be viewed here.

Vote for Democracy: Key findings from the analysis of ECI data

1. Legally unsanctioned process: The term Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has no legal or statutory basis under existing electoral laws. The Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 only permits summary, intensive, or partial revisions. The ECI not only devised a new nomenclature but also violated Rule 8 by introducing non-standard enumeration forms and failing to provide receipts or duplicate copies to electors, compromising basic procedural safeguards.
2. Statistical irregularities and data “jugglery”: Between July 14 and July 25, deletion categories such as “deceased,” “permanently shifted,” and “untraceable” showed sudden, exponential jumps that defy logical or statistical explanation:

• Unprecedented one-day spike in “deceased” voters: A staggering 2, 11, 462 electors (18,66,869 – 16,55,407) are claimed to have been found dead over just one day, between July 21 and July 22, 2025.
• Mass constituency-level removals in over one day: Worse, 870 electors on an average per constituency have been removed over one day, between July 21 and July 22. This makes the electors removed per constituency in that period at 2,11,462. Is this part of a genuine clean-up process or a pre-determined mass deletion?
• Five-day surge in “deceased” category: During the last five days of the SIR process, July 21 to July 25, the ECI has magically raised the number of dead electors from 16,55,407 on July 21, 2025 to a significant 22 lakh dead voters, four days later, on July 25. Thus, we see a hike of deletions in this category at 5,44,593 in 243 constituencies (which is a figure that is 2,241 dead electors per constituency).
• Sharp three-day escalation in “permanently shifted” voters: The hike in the mass deletions under the head “permanently shifted” is too high to be digested and the same in the last three days is 15,24,769 for all the 243 constituencies, and this turns out to be 6,275 per constituency on an average. Thus, the last three days have been the most marked deletion days (!!!) for the ECI’s Bihar SIR process where 8,516 electors have been removed from each of the state’s 243 constituencies.
• Deletions exceeding forms processed: All this already points to what amounts to a jugglery in data science. Why? Because the huge surge in the number of “dead” and “permanently shifted” voters is almost double the number of the electors’ forms digitalised in those very hours! Between July 23 and July 25, the number of digitised electors increased from 7.17 crore to 7.23 crore. Concurrently, the total count of deceased and permanently shifted voters rose from 48 lakh to 57 lakh, an increase of approximately 9 lakh!
• Disappearance of “multiple registration” category: Another ECI-driven miracle is that in this same period i.e., July 23 to 25, there was not even a single such elector who exists in the “registered at more than one place” category! Observation: The ECI appeared to be in a hurry over the last days of the SIR exercise to complete the first phase of pre-determined and desired number of deletions.

Such anomalies, where deletions exceed even the number of forms received, suggest possible manipulation of data to meet a pre-decided quota of deletions.

3. Opacity and aggregation of deletion data: On July 23, the ECI replaced category-wise reporting with “Merged Data”, collapsing separate categories (e.g., deceased, shifted, untraceable) into one opaque classification: “Electors not found at their addresses.” This intentional data obfuscation came just as deletion figures accelerated, reaching 65 lakh by July 27.
4. Disproportionate impact in key districts: Deletion rates vary wildly across districts, with Gopalganj (15.10%), Purnia (12.08%), Kishanganj (11.82%), and Madhubani (10.44%) among the worst affected—well above the state average of 8.31%. These districts are known for marginalised populations, migrant workers, and minority communities, raising fears of targeted disenfranchisement.
5. Democratic and legal concerns:
   • The Supreme Court, in its July 29 hearing, refused to stay the publication of the draft rolls but cautioned that it would intervene if “mass exclusion” was proven.
   • Petitioners, including ADR, have pointed out that the ECI has failed to publish names of those marked for deletion, denying voters the opportunity to file claims or objections.
   • The burden of proof has effectively been shifted onto voters to defend their inclusion, a reversal of the ECI’s constitutional obligation to ensure due process.

Broader implications for electoral democracy
The ECI claims that no deletion occurs without a prior notice and hearing. However, with 65 lakh deletions across 243 constituencies, this would mean conducting an average of 26,748 hearings per constituency within a month—a logistical impossibility that casts serious doubt on procedural compliance.

Further, many of the categories used for deletions, such as “untraceable” or “permanently shifted”, are highly vulnerable to subjective assessment, especially given the scale and speed of the deletions. The introduction of new deletion categories mid-way, rapid statistical jumps, and the disappearance of disaggregated data suggest a process driven by pre-determined numerical targets, not genuine verification.

Call for transparency and legal scrutiny
Vote for Democracy (VFD) and allied experts and researchers are calling for the ECI to immediately release:

• The complete list of deleted voters with reasons for deletion.
• Documentary proof backing each deletion, as required by law.
• A clear breakdown of deletion categories per constituency.

With Supreme Court hearings set for August 12 and 13, the credibility of Bihar’s electoral process now hinges on whether these deletions withstand judicial scrutiny and public transparency. Anything less risks undermining the very foundation of the right to vote in India.

The experts involved with the VFD are Dr Pyara Lal Garg, Former Dean, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh, MG Devasahayam, IAS (Retd), Convenor, Forum for Electoral Integrity & Coordinator, Citizens Commission on Elections,  Madhav Deshpande, Computer Science Expert over four decades and a former consultant to the Obama administration. Teesta Setalvad & Dolphy D’Souza are Co-Convenors of Vote for Democracy[1]

The Power Point presentation may also be viewed here:

[1] Vote for Democracy (VFD) is a Maharashtra-level citizens’ platform of individuals and organisations formed in 2023 to ensure Voter registration, Voter Awareness, and a Hate-Free Poll where Accountability & Transparency is key. Teesta Setalvad and Dolphy D’Souza are Co-Convenors and for this report a slew of legal researchers and activists contributed to the final product, this Report.

Related:

Bihar SIR: 65 Lakh electors flagged for deletion, SC said “if there is mass exclusion, we will immediately step in”

ECI to SC: Voter ID insufficient for Bihar roll, defends citizenship verification power

Punjab University’s former dean writes to CJI: Bihar SIR threatens democracy, alleges ECI overreach & voter disenfranchisement

Non-Electors Within Electors: ECI reports over 61 lakh potential exclusions

The post Vote for Democracy: Statistical, legal and procedural irregularities dot Bihar’s controversial SIR process appeared first on SabrangIndia.

A bench comprising Justices Rajesh Bindal and Manmohan described such pre-publication restraints as “super injunctions”, stressing that they are permissible only in extremely rare circumstances in a democratic, free country.

The petition was filed by Harshendra Kumar D., Secretary of the Dharmasthala Temple management body, who alleged that defamatory content targeting the temple’s managing family was being widely circulated online, particularly on YouTube. According to his submission, around 8,000 YouTube channels were carrying material that defamed the hereditary head of the temple, Veerendra Heggade, and other members of the managing trust.

While refusing to pass any immediate restraining orders, the Supreme Court directed the Karnataka trial court to reconsider Kumar’s plea afresh, with all supporting evidence placed on record. The bench clarified that it was not expressing any opinion on the merits of the defamation claim, as per a report of Hindustan Times.

Karnataka High Court’s Intervention: August 1, 2025

This Supreme Court development came just a week after the Karnataka High Court bench comprising Justice M. Nagaprasanna set aside a sweeping gag order issued on July 18, 2025 by a Bengaluru civil court in Kumar’s earlier defamation suit.

That order had restrained reportage on the Dharmasthala burial allegations and directed 390 media houses to remove nearly 9,000 online links, including news articles, videos, and posts, related to the case. The gag order was granted ex parte, without hearing the affected media outlets, and despite there being no FIR naming Kumar or temple officials in connection with the allegations.

The High Court criticised the indiscriminate nature of such injunctions, noting that restrictions on reportage in matters of significant public interest should be exceptional, narrowly tailored, and supported by strong prima facie grounds.

Origins of the Current Case: Whistle blower’s complaint of July 3, 2025

The present controversy began more than a month earlier, when on July 3, 2025, a former sanitation worker of the Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Temple lodged a six-page complaint with the Superintendent of Police, Dakshina Kannada district.

The whistle-blower, a Dalit man who worked for the temple between 1995 and 2014, alleged that during his employment, he was forced to bury hundreds of murder victims on temple premises and surrounding lands. He claimed that many of the victims were minor girls who had been sexually assaulted before being killed.

The worker stated that he had been threatened with death if he ever spoke about these events. He fled Dharmasthala in 2014, remaining silent for 11 years, before deciding to come forward out of guilt, as per a report in Frontline Magazine.

Historical Context: Dharmasthala’s unsolved cases

The allegations immediately gained national and international attention, in part because they appeared to connect to a long-standing history of unsolved murders and disappearances in Dharmasthala.

• 1987 – Padmalatha case: Rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl; no arrests made.
• 2012 – Soujanya case: Rape and murder of another 17-year-old girl; case remained unresolved for over a decade and was officially closed in 2023.

Families of several victims and activists have repeatedly alleged that these crimes were linked to Veerendra Heggade, the hereditary head of the temple and a Rajya Sabha MP since 2022. Past investigative reporting pointed to poor police investigations allegedly influenced by powerful individuals.

Mounting public pressure and SIT formation

Following the whistle-blower’s testimony and growing public anger, the Karnataka government, on July 19, 2025, announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Director General of Police Pranab Mohanty.

Acting swiftly, the SIT identified 13 suspected burial sites. According to Indian Express, exhumations began on July 29, 2025, in challenging conditions — heavy monsoon rains, forested terrain, and proximity to the Netravathi River.

By August 4, 2025:

• Site No. 6: Partial human skeleton recovered.
• Site No. 11-A: Skeletal fragments recovered; unclear if they form complete skeletons.
• One location: PAN card found belonging to a man reportedly deceased in 2025.

Families and witnesses come forward

The SIT’s work encouraged families of past victims to step forward:

• Soujanya’s parents expressed hope that the case will finally lead to justice.
• Mother of Ananya Bhat (medical student missing since 2003) filed a fresh complaint in hopes her daughter’s remains might be identified.
• Additional witnesses provided accounts of other secret burials in and around Dharmasthala.

According to Frontline Magazine, some families and activists have called for the case to be handed over to a national agency such as the NIA, citing the gravity of the allegations and potential local influence over the investigation.

Threats, attacks, and evidence destruction concerns

Despite the High Court’s lifting of the gag order, independent journalists and YouTubers reporting on the case have faced threats and physical violence. According to Hindustan Times, on August 6, 2025, two YouTubers were attacked while filming in Dharmasthala.

In a major revelation was also present in the report raising concerns of evidence destruction, the Belthangady police station admitted in early August to having deleted records of unidentified deaths from 2000–2015 — a period covering many of the alleged crimes.

Political and institutional responses

Political reactions have largely been muted, with many leaders avoiding direct comment on the allegations against Heggade:

• G. Parameshwara (Home Minister, Karnataka): Said a “thorough investigation” must precede any conclusions and confirmed SIT’s mandate.
• R. Ashok (BJP Leader of Opposition): Dismissed the allegations as a conspiracy; falsely claimed the whistle blower was Muslim.
• B.S. Yediyurappa (former CM, BJP): Called the charges baseless but welcomed the SIT’s formation.

Heggade has made no public statement. A temple spokesperson has said the administration supports the SIT’s investigation.

Forensic challenges

Forensic experts warn that identifying the skeletal remains will be complex due to:

• Advanced decomposition.
• Possible disturbance of burial sites.
• Requirement for DNA matching with living relatives.

Despite this, victim families remain hopeful that the investigation will deliver closure after decades of unanswered grief.

Related:

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As protests intensify in Kerala over arrests of nuns, family members of Adivasi women say nuns are innocent, left national leadership to visit Chhattisgarh

When Courts Fail Survivors: How patriarchy shapes justice in sexual offence against women cases

The post Supreme Court rejects gag order plea in Dharmasthala mass burial case, orders fresh Trial Court review appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On July 28, 2025, Kavin Selva Ganesh, a 27-year-old Dalit software engineer from Arumugamangalam near Eral in Thoothukudi district, was hacked to death in broad daylight in KTC Nagar, Tirunelveli. The accused, S. Surjith (21), allegedly attacked Kavin with a sickle over his relationship with Surjith’s sister, Subashini, a Siddha practitioner. Kavin and Subashini had been in a long-term inter-caste relationship, which Surjith and his family, belonging to the dominant Maravar community (MBC), vehemently opposed.

Surjith is not just an ordinary civilian — he is the son of two serving Sub-Inspectors in the Tamil Nadu Armed Police, Saravanan and Krishnakumari, both of whom were also named as co-accused in the FIR. Despite this, the couple was only suspended and has not been arrested, triggering public outrage. The FIR has been filed under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 2015, and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to Kavin’s mother, S. Tamizhselvi, who filed the police complaint, her son had received repeated threats from the accused’s family. On the day of the incident, Surjith reportedly lured Kavin under the pretext of their parents wanting to meet him and then brutally attacked him with a sickle, chasing him down and killing him less than 200 metres from the hospital where Subashini worked. Eyewitnesses, CCTV footage, and multiple media reports corroborate these details.

Petition filed with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)

On July 30, 2025, a citizen petition was submitted at the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) headquarters in New Delhi by Shailendar Karthikeyan, law student seeking urgent intervention in the caste-based killing of Kavin Selva Ganesh. He met the Personal Secretary to the Chairperson and submitted detailed documentation, including press clippings. During the interaction, the petitioner was informed that the Commission had already taken suo moto cognizance of the case.

While a formal number was not assigned to the newly submitted petition, the representation was accepted and acknowledged by the Commission. The petitioner urged the Commission to treat the matter with utmost urgency and to include the following demands in its proceedings:

1. Immediate arrest of the accused’s parents — Sub-Inspectors Saravanan and Krishnakumari — who are named in the FIR.
2. Constitution of a fact-finding committee to investigate the role of caste bias and police complicity.
3. NCSC’s ongoing monitoring of investigation and prosecution, including regular status reports from the State Government.
4. Provision of witness protection to the victim’s family, who continue to fear retaliation.

The petition can be accessed here 

Arrest, CB-CID transfer, and body acceptance

In a significant turn of events, Saravanan, a serving Sub-Inspector and father of the main accused Surjith, was arrested by Tamil Nadu police in connection with the caste-based killing of Kavin Selva Ganesh. The arrest came soon after a petition was filed with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), though it is unclear if the two are directly connected. The case has since been transferred to the CB-CID, reflecting its seriousness and the growing demand for an impartial investigation. Following Saravanan’s arrest, Kavin’s family ended their five-day protest and accepted his body from the Tirunelveli Government Medical College Hospital, where Minister K.N. Nehru and Collector R. Sukumar paid their respects. Notably, the family had earlier rejected the state’s ₹6 lakh compensation, insisting that they sought justice and not money by demanding the immediate arrest of both police officers named in the FIR.

Deafening Silence from Political Leaders

The response from Tamil Nadu’s mainstream political parties has been largely muted, drawing criticism from activists. Only leaders of VCK (Thol Thirumavalavan), NTK (Seeman), and Puthiya Tamilagam (K. Krishnasamy) have issued strong public statements demanding separate legislation to curb honour killings. The silence of ruling and opposition parties has left Dalit voices further isolated.

A Broader Pattern

This is not an isolated incident. Tamil Nadu has seen a disturbing pattern of caste-based honour killings from the 2016 murder of Sankar in Udumalpet to the more recent cases in Cuddalore and Krishnagiri. In most cases, justice has been delayed, and police bias is often evident.

The murder of Kavin Selva Ganesh is a stark reminder that caste continues to determine who gets to love, who gets to live, and who gets away with murder in this country.

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The post Petition filed with NCSC seeks justice in Tirunelveli honour killing of Dalit techie appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The entire text of the letter may be read here:

To

Shri Gyanesh Kumar

Chief Election Commissioner

Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu

Election Commissioner

Dr Vivek Joshi

Election Commissioner

Dear S/Shri Gyanesh Kumar, Sandhu and Joshi,

Many TV channels have just now aired a press conference held by the leader of a national political party today (https://youtu.be/fi9Y0yWsPkg), in which he alleged irregularities in the preparation of electoral rolls in Karnataka and a few other States. His allegations revolving around factual information, seemed to be based on an audit of hard copies of electoral rolls available in the public domain. 

If I were to be in your place in the Election Commission, I would have ordered a thorough verification of the factual information released in the press conference to satisfy myself of the veracity of the basis for the allegations, as those allegations, if they were to be factually correct, would have serious implications for the integrity of electoral rolls in general. 

In my view, each one of you, responsible under Article 324 of the Constitution to enhance the overall credibility of the electoral process, should readily take cognizance of each and every complaint of that kind and suo moto get such a complaint verified, as feedback of that kind would help the Commission to identify the shortcomings in every segment of the electoral process and take corrective measures.  

What surprised me was that the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka lost no time in issuing a notice to the concerned political leader calling upon him to “substantiate his claims of electoral fraud with a signed declaration under oath, as per Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960”.

I am sure that the CEO would not have responded so promptly without keeping the Commission informed. The impression I get from this that the Commission and its officers treat every complainant as an adversary and, instead of taking advantage of the contents of the complaint as a means to scrutinise the integrity of preparation of electoral rolls at the ground level, call upon the complainant to swear that the complaint is based on facts, whereas all those facts could be readily cross-verified with the help of the enormous resources they have at their command. It appears to me that the Commission and its machinery are more anxious to prove that the complainant is wrong than welcoming such a complaint as a part of a readily available feedback system that helps the Commission in constantly improving its internal procedures and practices. The effectiveness of the Commission  depends crucially on its ability to respond to public complaints in a meaningful manner and its ability to elicit public trust. If it closes its doors to public complaints and complaints from political parties, it loses the advantage of using such complaints as a means to correct its own internal procedures in a transparent manner. I am afraid that the Commission, in recent times, let go of such excellent opportunities, as it has resorted to treating complainants as adversaries.

In this connection, I refer to a letter I addressed you some time ago in which I had expressed my concerns about several issues that remained unaddressed, that would erode the credibility of the electoral process. While the Commission may not care to respond to a letter from a senior citizen like me, the least that the Commission could have done was to ponder over the concerns expressed by me and take appropriate corrective measures. To the best of my understanding, the Commission has chosen to ignore those concerns, perhaps adopting its usual stance of treating all such complaints as irritants.

Once again, let me caution you that the Commission’s effectiveness as an apolitical Constitutional authority would critically depend on its ability to respond to public complaints in a constructive manner, rather than treating them as vexatious.

All the best,

Yours sincerely,

E A S Sarma

Former Secretary to the Government of India

Visakhapatnam 

Related:

Rahul Gandhi alleges ‘Vote Chori’ in 2024 polls, accuses BJP-ECI nexus of systematic electoral fraud

SC to ECI: Explain alleged irregularities in deletion of 65 lakh voters from Bihar’s draft electoral rolls

Bihar’s SIR process reveals an exercise of illegitimate powers, ECI forcing district machinery to resort to unethical practices: CCG’s Open Letter

Non-Electors Within Electors: ECI reports over 61 lakh potential exclusions

Principles of secret ballot, free will compromised, electronic surveillance a possibility with Voting APP introduced by the ECI: Expert

Memo to ECI: Make Voter’s Form 17Cs list accessible on Commission website, clean up existing, technologically messy EVS structure, say citizens

The post Election Commission must take the Indian people into confidence, correct its procedures & practices appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Gandhi, in a detailed press conference held at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, described the alleged irregularities as a systemic subversion of Indian democracy, claiming “massive-scale electoral fraud” or vote chori (vote theft) had taken place. He called this an “institutional crime against the Constitution.”

Key allegations and claims

The ‘Atom Bomb’ evidence

• Gandhi declared that the Congress has unearthed hard evidence of voter list manipulation after a six-month internal investigation.
• He asserted that 1 lakh fraudulent votes were cast in the Mahadevapura assembly segment of the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency of Karnataka alone.

Maharashtra Election: An alarming spike

• Congress began suspecting vote rigging after the 2023 Chhattisgarh elections, but their fears were confirmed in Maharashtra (2024).
• Over one crore new voters were added to Maharashtra’s electoral rolls in just five months—more than the total added in the preceding five years.
• Gandhi highlighted a suspicious surge in voter turnout after 5:30 PM, and the ECI’s refusal to release CCTV footage from polling booths, by unexpectedly changing rules to block access. (December 2024)
• “Why destroy evidence if nothing went wrong?” Gandhi asked, implying deliberate alteration of age old transparency driven laws/rules to prevent scrutiny.

Bangalore Central: A Case Study in ‘Vote Chori’

Focusing on the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency, Gandhi said the Congress had anticipated a win based on internal surveys, but lost narrowly:

Margin: 32,707 votes

INC led in 6 out of 7 assembly segments, except Mahadevapura, where it lost by a staggering 1,15,586 votes.

Findings from Mahadevapura:

Congress’s detailed audit revealed:

Gandhi alleged that voters were registered multiple times—in the same constituency, across different states, and even using non-existent or zeroed addresses.

Example:

• 68 voters registered at a brewery (“Biere Club”).
• One voter, Shakun Rani, was registered twice in two months with slightly altered details and both entries cast votes. Ironically this woman voter (a mid-70 year old) was registered in the Form 6 batch of voters that are the ‘new voter’ category in ages 18-25 years!

Exit Polls vs Final Results: The growing mismatch

Rahul Gandhi further questioned:

• Why does anti-incumbency seem to affect every party except the BJP?
• Why are exit and opinion polls consistently off the mark in BJP’s favour?
• He noted similar suspicious swings in Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.

In Haryana:

• Congress lost 8 seats by a combined margin of only 22,779 votes—out of over 2 crore votes cast.

Nationally:

• BJP won 25 Lok Sabha seats with margins under 33,000 votes.
• “That’s all Modi needed to stay in power—just 25 seats,” Gandhi said.

Denial of Digital Voter Rolls: A deliberate barrier

Gandhi revealed that the ECI refused to share machine-readable voter rolls, instead providing physical documents that:

• Were over 7 feet tall when stacked.
• Could not be scanned using OCR (optical character recognition).
• Made manual verification virtually impossible.

“This is by design,” Gandhi alleged. “If the EC gave us electronically readable (searchable) digital data, we’d analyse it in 30 seconds. But they gave us deliberately un-scannable formats to stall scrutiny.”

Call for judicial oversight and constitutional accountability

• Gandhi called the EC’s actions a violation of its constitutional duty to safeguard elections.
• He urged the judiciary to intervene, declaring: “This is no longer just about one party’s loss. It’s a threat to the very foundation of Indian democracy—where every citizen gets one vote.”

He warned that the entire electoral process is being choreographed, facilitated by media hype, multi-phase polls, and an opaque EC.

Conclusion: A crisis at the heart of Indian democracy

Rahul Gandhi’s allegations go beyond partisan politics—they strike at the core of India’s democratic framework. If even a fraction of what he claims is true, it suggests that the electoral process, the one institution that legitimises political power, is compromised through a mix of bureaucratic opacity, voter list manipulation, and denial of digital transparency.

The Congress’s evidence-heavy exposé raises urgent questions:

• Why are electoral rolls being altered on such a massive scale without scrutiny?
• Why is the Election Commission refusing to provide machine-readable data, as required for transparency?
• Why were CCTV records from sensitive polling periods destroyed or withheld?

These are not just technical lapses—they are constitutional red flags. The principle of “one person, one vote” is not merely an administrative guideline; it is the very foundation of the Republic. If institutions tasked with protecting democracy instead facilitate its erosion, the implications are grave—not just for one election cycle, but for the future of electoral legitimacy in India.

The presentation given by Rahul Gandhi may be viewed here.

Related:

SC to ECI: Explain alleged irregularities in deletion of 65 lakh voters from Bihar’s draft electoral rolls

Bihar’s SIR process reveals an exercise of illegitimate powers, ECI forcing district machinery to resort to unethical practices: CCG’s Open Letter

Non-Electors Within Electors: ECI reports over 61 lakh potential exclusions

Principles of secret ballot, free will compromised, electronic surveillance a possibility with Voting APP introduced by the ECI: Expert

Memo to ECI: Make Voter’s Form 17Cs list accessible on Commission website, clean up existing, technologically messy EVS structure, say citizens

The post Rahul Gandhi alleges ‘Vote Chori’ in 2024 polls, accuses BJP-ECI nexus of systematic electoral fraud appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In a strongly worded statement of commemoration on August 6, 2025, the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP) states that, ‘as we mark eight decades of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we must confront the fact that this template of misinformation crafted in 1945 remains largely intact. Today, we live in an era where media monopolies and concentrated information power have reached unprecedented levels. Social and mainstream media alike often serve more as instruments of propaganda rather than as platforms for critical analysis. As a result, the global public remains dangerously uninformed about what a nuclear war would actually mean for humanity and the planet.

‘We are witnessing an alarming resurgence of militarism and nuclear brinkmanship. Nations are modernising their arsenals, dismantling arms control frameworks, and inflating defence budgets. Today, from South Asia to West Asia, nuclear tensions simmer dangerously. Recent escalations from the near-war between India and Pakistan to Israeli-US strikes in Iran underline how quickly the threat of nuclear confrontation can re-enter our reality.

‘But perhaps the most insidious threat lies in how these issues are reported or rather, misreported. Public fear is stoked without accompanying understanding. The voices of peace, disarmament, and justice are routinely marginalised, while the dominant narratives reinforce inequality, nationalism, and the illusion of “strategic deterrence.”’

On this occasion, says the statement, the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP), Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) and PEACE has also organised a special lecture by senior journalist and founder of the People’s Archive of Rural India, P. Sainath entitled The Media and the Bomb- The Big Lie template for reporting nuclear issues was set in Hiroshima-Nagasaki. The lecture will be chaired by Prof. Anuradha Chenoy (Academician) and is being held at HKS Surjeet Bhawan, New Delhi on Saturday August 9 at 5 p.m.

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The post Militaristic nationalism, pushed by complicit big media have blurred dangers of nuclear war to the planet: CNDP appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The report of Al Jalzeera states that the killer, Yinon Levi, a settler from the nearby illegal outpost of Carmel, opened fire indiscriminately after tensions flared over a bulldozer damaging Palestinian infrastructure. The bullet struck Hathaleen in the chest as he stood near the community centre yard—a space he helped build, and where he taught children the English language.

According to the report of The Guardian, despite his critical injury, Israeli forces did not allow a Palestinian ambulance to take him. Instead, a military ambulance from the Carmel settlement transported him. Later that night, Israeli authorities informed his family of his death—without returning his body. To date, Israeli officials continue to withhold the body, in violation of Islamic customs that require immediate burial.

Sequence of events leading to the killing

The violence began the day prior, when a settler-operated bulldozer entered Umm al-Kheir and began destroying agricultural land and vital infrastructure, including a water pipe. Villagers had attempted to coordinate its passage to avoid such destruction, but their warnings were ignored. According to witnesses, the bulldozer operator used the vehicle’s claw to strike a villager in the head, leaving him semi-conscious.

As villagers gathered to protest, according to AP News, Levi reportedly emerged with a gun and began firing toward the crowd. Hathaleen was standing at a distance of about 10–15 metres, observing the unfolding situation. One eyewitness, Israeli activist Mattan Berner-Kadish, recounted to Al Jalzeera that Levi showed no remorse and was overheard saying: “I’m glad I did it.”

Berner-Kadish also stated that Israeli soldiers who arrived at the scene expressed sympathy with Levi, with at least three soldiers allegedly saying they wished they had shot Awdah themselves.

Aftermath and military crackdown

Following the killing, the Israeli army sealed off the village, declaring it a closed military zone, and arrested at least five members of the Hathaleen family. Among the detainees were relatives of the deceased and two international solidarity activists. Soldiers stormed the mourning tent, evicted mourners, and threw stun grenades at journalists and residents who resisted dispersal.

According to Vulture, despite the declared military closure, video footage later emerged showing a settler operating a bulldozer within the village, highlighting the disparity between military restrictions on Palestinians and impunity for settler activity.

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities charged Levi with negligent homicide, not murder. He was released to house arrest within three days. Levi had previously been sanctioned by the European Union, United Kingdom, and United States under President Joe Biden for violent settler attacks—but was delisted by Donald Trump on his first day in office.

A legacy of peace and education

Awdah was deeply embedded in the cultural and resistance life of Masafer Yatta. A teacher by profession and an activist by necessity, he taught English to grades 1 through 9 in the local school, believing language could be a tool to amplify Palestinian voices globally.

He was also a co-producer and on-screen voice in the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” directed by Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham, which captured Israel’s systemic efforts to evict Palestinian communities from their homes in the firing zones of Masafer Yatta.

Beyond activism, Awdah was remembered as a devoted father to three young children—Watan (5), Muhammad (4), and Kinan (7 months)—and a vibrant presence in the community. He was known for his love of football, often playing with children on the makeshift pitch outside the community centre, and for his affection for Real Madrid. He was also described as a coffee connoisseur, regularly gifted Italian coffee by international allies.

“There was nobody who contributed as much to the community in Umm al-Kheir as Awdah,” said his cousin and brother-in-law, Alaa Hathaleen, as reported by Al Jalzeera.

“He was a radical humanist,” said Micol Hassan to Al Jalzeera, an Italian-Jewish activist and close friend who has been barred by Israel from reentering the West Bank.

Final message and global response

In a message sent just hours before his death, Awdah warned: “The settlers are working behind our houses… they tried to cut the main water pipe… If you can reach people like the Congress, courts, whatever, please do everything.”

His killing has drawn international condemnation. The French Foreign Ministry called it “a form of terrorism,” urging Israel to ensure accountability. Human rights lawyer Michael Sfard called settler violence “state violence” in Israel, citing widespread legal and military backing for settlers.

As reported by Al Jalzeera, Basel Adra, his colleague and co-director of No Other Land, wrote in mourning: “My dear friend Awdah was slaughtered this evening. This is how Israel erases us—one life at a time.”

Settler violence in context

The killing of Hathaleen is part of a broader pattern of increasing settler violence in the West Bank. Since October 2023, at least 1,009 Palestinians have been killed and over 7,000 injured, many in attacks involving armed settlers under the protection of Israeli military units. According to international law, all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal.

Umm al-Kheir, like many villages in Masafer Yatta, lies within Area C, a zone where Israel maintains full civil and military control. The entire region has been designated a “firing zone” by Israel, a status Palestinians say is used as a pretext to forcibly evict communities. Awdah had been documenting and resisting this very policy until the last day of his life.

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“Don’t pray for Palestine,” Delhi Police reportedly warns mosque imams

The post Palestinian peace activist Awdah Hathaleen shot dead by Israeli settler in occupied West Bank appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Allegations of irregularities and opaque process

The case was brought to the Court’s attention through an application filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). According to Live Law, ADR’s counsel, Prashant Bhushan, contended that the ECI had not disclosed the identities of the 65 lakh voters whose names were removed. He further alleged that the ECI failed to specify whether these voters were deceased or had migrated, a crucial detail for ensuring the integrity of the electoral roll.

Bhushan also raised concerns about the process itself, stating that political parties were not given the lists at the block level, a step he claimed was essential for transparency. He also highlighted a lack of clarity on whether the inclusions and omissions in the list were based on the recommendations of the Booth Level Officers (BLOs).

Appearing before a bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan, and NK Singh, advocate Prashant Bhushan stated that “We have filed an IA…the draft roll they have published says 65 lakh voters’ names have been omitted…they have not given list of those names…they have said people are dead, have migrated…they should disclose who are the 65 lakhs, who are dead, who have migrated…secondly, the BLOs when forwarding the forms have said this person is/is not recommended by BLO…they have not published for rest of the people that means out of 8 crores minus 65 lakhs, whether BLOs have recommended or not recommended…this information will be very important. IA may be listed tomorrow or day after” as reported by Live Law.

Bhushan also claimed that a significant number of voters were included in the list even though they were not recommended by the BLOs. He argued that these voters had failed to submit the required 11 documents, and in many cases, BLOs themselves had filled out the forms without any supporting documentation.

“Even those who have been included, BLOs have not recommended. Vast majority, more than 75%, have not submitted these 11 documents. BLOs have themselves filled up the forms and there are no documents in any of them. Among those, they are now saying BLOs have not recommended. About 12% in 2 constituencies have not been recommended,” Bhushan said, as reported by Live Law.

ECI’s defence and the Court’s directive

In response, the counsel for the ECI refuted Bhushan’s claims, stating that the submissions were “incorrect.” He asserted that the draft list was indeed shared with representatives of political parties before its publication. When asked by the bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan, and NK Singh, why the ECI couldn’t put this information in a formal reply, the counsel was directed to do so.

“Why can’t you say all this in a reply? If you have supplied, please give a list of political parties to whom you have supplied, so that Mr Bhushan’s client can collect information from those authorized representatives. File your reply by Saturday,” Justice Kant said

Justice Kant also pointed out that since this was only a preliminary list, the reasons for the deletions would be provided later, along with the final list. He also emphasised the importance of ensuring that every affected voter’s information is duly considered. The Court has scheduled the next hearing on the petitions challenging the Bihar SIR for August 12.

Background of the Bihar SIR process and SC hearings

The SIR in Bihar is an exercise undertaken by the ECI for updation in electoral rolls. On June 24, the ECI announced the SIR for Bihar ahead of the state’s assembly elections. This process required voters, particularly those whose names weren’t on the 2003 electoral roll, to re-verify their details by submitting new enumeration forms with supporting documents. The ECI cited the need to remove duplicate entries, deceased voters, and migrated individuals from the rolls.

The legality and methodology of this exercise were swiftly challenged in the Supreme Court by ADR and other petitioners, including political parties and social activists. The petitioners argued that the SIR could disenfranchise a large number of genuine voters, especially from marginalised communities, due to the stringent documentary requirements and a tight deadline. They also questioned the ECI’s authority to conduct such a revision so close to an election.

The Supreme Court has been hearing the matter since July 10. During the initial hearings, the Court refused to halt the SIR but urged the ECI to “consider” accepting additional documents like Aadhaar, Voter ID, and Ration Cards for voter verification, which were initially excluded from the ECI’s list of 11 acceptable documents. The Court also expressed its concern about the potential for “mass exclusion” of voters and warned that it would intervene if any irregularities were found. 

The ECI, in turn, defended its actions by stating it had the constitutional authority to carry out the SIR and that the process was being conducted transparently in collaboration with political parties’ Booth Level Agents (BLAs). The current hearing on August 6 is a follow-up to these earlier proceedings, triggered by the publication of the draft electoral roll with the significant deletion of 65 lakh names.

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The post SC to ECI: Explain alleged irregularities in deletion of 65 lakh voters from Bihar’s draft electoral rolls appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Somnath Suryawanshi was arrested in December 2024 for allegedly participating in protests and riots that erupted in Parbhani district on December 11, following the desecration of a replica of the Indian Constitution. A resident of Pune and a student at a law college in Parbhani, Somnath was taken into custody and, after a brief remand, shifted to judicial custody. He died on December 15, allegedly as a result of injuries sustained from police torture during his time in lock-up.

Mother’s plea ignored for months

His mother, 60-year-old Vijayabai Venkat Suryawanshi, has been waging a determined legal battle since December 18, 2024, when she filed a formal complaint demanding registration of an FIR against the officers responsible for her son’s death. In her statement, Vijayabai recalled receiving a phone call informing her that Somnath had died of a “heart attack.” But what followed only deepened her suspicion.

While she was en-route to Parbhani, officials told her the body had already been shifted to the Aurangabad Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). On the way, she was intercepted by the Parbhani police and taken to the SP’s office, where she alleges a senior officer told her: “We didn’t kill your son. He died of a heart attack. We can help you. If you take the body, we’ll offer police training to one of your sons.” 

She refused the offer and proceeded to Aurangabad, where a post-mortem was conducted. Social activists at the hospital informed her that the autopsy indicated multiple injuries consistent with custodial torture — contradicting the state’s version of a natural death due to illness.

Bombay HC recognises prima facie brutality

On July 4, 2025, the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court, acknowledging “prima facie material indicating custodial brutality and violation of constitutional rights”, directed the police to register an FIR within a week. However, the Mahayuti-led Maharashtra government under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis failed to comply. Instead, the state challenged the order before the Supreme Court. The apex court, however, upheld the High Court’s directive on July 30, observing that the FIR was not optional but necessary for enabling an impartial criminal investigation.

As per the report of The Statesman, the Supreme Court Bench, comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh, clarified that registration of an FIR should not be interpreted as assigning guilt but as initiating a fair investigation under the law.

Presented facts and successfully argued in the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India for Vijaybai Vyankat Suryawanshi.

The Supreme Court maintained the order of the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court to file FIR and launch investigation as per the application made by Vijaybai on… pic.twitter.com/m8CdCtfqh2

— Prakash Ambedkar (@Prksh_Ambedkar) July 30, 2025

On July 4, The Aurangabad Bench of the Hon’ble Court of Bombay had ordered to register an FIR against the police responsible for the custodial death of Somnath Suryavanshi and the brutality in Parbhani.

But the State of Maharashtra appealed against the order of High Court in the… pic.twitter.com/DhG6PHRvmU

— Prakash Ambedkar (@Prksh_Ambedkar) July 30, 2025

Detailed report may be read here and here.

Allegations of torture and postmortem findings

In her FIR, Vijayabai has alleged that Somnath was subjected to three days of continuous custodial torture at the New Mondha police station. Activists have also corroborated her account, noting that the post-mortem report documented fractured bones and internal injuries, directly contradicting earlier government statements that claimed he had pre-existing respiratory issues and died of chest pain.

This claim was echoed by Chief Minister Fadnavis in the legislative assembly shortly after the new Mahayuti government was sworn in. He maintained that Somnath had a “serious respiratory illness” and had died of “natural causes.” However, these claims were debunked when the post-mortem revealed evidence of blunt force trauma, broken shoulder bones, and signs of sustained physical assault.

Detailed report may be read here and here.

Prakash Ambedkar’s legal intervention and political fallout

The case received a significant boost when Prakash Ambedkar, chief of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and grandson of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, took up the cause and personally argued the matter before the courts. “Somnath shed his blood for the Constitution of this country. He was murdered for standing up for its values,” Ambedkar said in a press briefing after the SC order.

He added that the FIR will pave the way for a broader investigation into custodial violence in Maharashtra. “This case may become a benchmark for custodial death investigations. We are now demanding that the JJ Hospital doctors who issued secondary medical opinions without court orders also be made accused. The role of doctors must not be overlooked in shielding police impunity,” he said.

Ambedkar also questioned the legality of the “combing operation” carried out in Parbhani after the desecration incident, during which multiple Dalit homes were raided, and arrests made without due process. “All officers who were part of that illegal operation must be investigated,” he added.

मुंबई उच्च न्यायालयाच्या औरंगाबाद खंडपीठाने सोमनाथ सूर्यवंशी हत्येप्रकरणी एका आठवड्याच्या आत पोलिसांवर एफआयआर दाखल करण्याचा स्पष्ट आदेश दिला होता. मात्र, आजपर्यंत तो एफआयआर दाखल झालेला नाही. त्यामुळे आता पोलीस आणि प्रशासनवर कोर्टाच्या अवमानाच्या (Contempt of Court) अंतर्गत… pic.twitter.com/uizaD3wmSC

— Prakash Ambedkar (@Prksh_Ambedkar) July 30, 2025

What lies ahead?

With the FIR now registered under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which replaced IPC Section 302 (murder), attention is shifting toward the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or a Judicial Commission. Activists and lawyers have demanded that the probe be conducted independently of the Maharashtra police to avoid conflict of interest, given that police officials are the primary accused.

The delay in FIR registration — despite the HC’s clear order and the absence of any stay by the Supreme Court — has also raised questions about contempt of court and executive resistance to judicial directives, showing that the Parbhani police’s inaction between July 4 and August 1 could expose them to proceedings for wilful non-compliance.

Related:

Bombay High Court orders FIR in Somnath Suryawanshi custodial death case, slams police for delay and bias

Biased and Preconceived: Bombay HC criticises police inquiry into Parbhani custodial death of Somnath Suryawanshi

Magistrate probe indicts Parbhani police in Somnath Suryawanshi custodial death: MSHRC

State-sanctioned brutality? Dalit communities targeted in Parbhani “combing operations”, women, children abused

Judicial Setback: Supreme Court dilutes Bombay HC’s bold stand on police accountability in custodial killing in Badlapur case

The post Custodial Death of Dalit Law Student Somnath Suryawanshi: FIR registered after Supreme Court upholds Bombay HC directive appeared first on SabrangIndia.