On July 13, 2025, a First Information Report (FIR) has registered against senior journalist Ajit Anjum and two associates, including his cameraman, at the Balia Police Station in Begusarai, Bihar. The complaint was filed by BLO Asarulhaq (Booth No. 16, 145) of Sahebpur Kamal Vidhan Sabha constituency. The core of the complaint, filed on July 12, 2025, alleges that Anjum obstructed government work and spread communal animosity. The FIR has registered under sections 223, 329(c), 132, 196, 302, 3(5) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and section 123(3A) of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951.
According to BLO Asarulhaq, at approximately 9:30 AM, while he was uploading enumeration forms from the BLO App in the Gharakhand meeting hall, Ajit Anjum and his team “without authorisation entered the hall and began questioning me.” Anjum’s questions included inquiries about voter numbers, form distribution and collection, the number of Muslim voters, and the submission of paper forms.
The BLO stated he informed Anjum that his booth had 1020 voters and that all forms had been distributed and received. However, he further alleged that Anjum’s “focus was on claiming that Muslim voters were being harassed, which is completely false,” and that Anjum “prevented me from working for an hour, causing significant disruption to the work.”
FIR, a certificate for me as a journalist: Anjum
“This FIR filed in Begusarai isn’t a setback; it’s a badge of honour for me as a journalist,” stated Anjum. He asserts that the case was “bound to happen” as a direct consequence of his exposé on the Election Commission’s ‘SIR’ forms. Anjum urges viewers to watch the linked video in the comments, which he claims clearly shows the Election Commission’s flaws. He suggests that instead of addressing these shortcomings, an FIR was filed against him, inviting viewers to “make a judgment” for themselves.
बेगूसराय में दर्ज ये FIR एक पत्रकार के तौर पर मेरे लिए सर्टिफिकेट की तरह है . चुनाव आयोग के ‘ SIR ‘ पर खुलासे का ये अंजाम तो होना ही था .
इसी पोस्ट के कॉमेंट बॉक्स में मेरा वीडियो है . उस वीडियो में चुनाव आयोग की को खामियां दिख रही हैं , उनका जवाब देने की बजाय मुझ पर FIR कर दी… pic.twitter.com/agQsr5tivG— Ajit Anjum (@ajitanjum) July 14, 2025
Anjum’s stance: undeterred by “targeted action”
Anjum, however, remains resolute in the face of what he perceives as a targeted move by the administration. He confirmed that he has not yet received a copy of the FIR, stating, “I haven’t received a copy of the FIR yet; I’m waiting for it.” He revealed that prior to the FIR, he had reported irregularities in the ‘SIR’ forms in the Ballia block, after which he received calls from the local BDO (Block Development Officer) and SDO (Sub-Divisional Officer) pressuring him to delete the video. Anjum’s defiance was clear: “I didn’t listen to them, and now the consequences are evident.
बिहार के बेगूसराय में मेरे खिलाफ FIR
किए जाने की जानकारी आ रही है . FIR की कॉपी मुझे नहीं मिली है . मैं इंतज़ार कर रहा हूं. दो दिन पहले मैंने बलिया प्रखंड में ‘ SIR ‘ के लिए भरे जा रहे FORM में अनियमितता की रिपोर्टिंग की थी . मुझे स्थानीय BDO और SDO की तरफ से कॉल करके वीडियो… pic.twitter.com/uyPOBOv85E— Ajit Anjum (@ajitanjum) July 14, 2025
There are a hundred questions about the Election Commission’s methods in Bihar. Instead of answering those questions, they’ve started an effort to intimidate journalists. I won’t be scared. I’ll only show the truth and report on the flaws.” He even stated he had voluntarily travelled to Begusarai from Kishanganj to ease the administration’s “trouble looking for me.”
Based on this Video, an FIR was filed, now watch and think: Anjum
Following the FIR, Anjum responded by re-uploading the video on his X handle. The video prominently features significant irregularities in the voter list revision’s form submission. It reveals that forms are being uploaded incompletely, with some containing only the name and signature, leaving all other columns blank and no photos attached. The video questions the credibility of such submissions. The official present, a Madam, acknowledges this as a “BLO’s mistake,” implicitly confirming a blatant violation of the Election Commission’s guidelines.
Anjum said that it is this very video that led to an FIR being filed against me, under a non-bailable section for obstructing government work. However, this charge is questionable given the circumstances. My colleague had first entered and inquired before I followed. When asked to stop recording, everyone involved exited with me, and I provided my contact number to the BLO after the shoot. Within ten minutes, I received a call from the BDO of Ballia, instructing me not to upload the video and warning that it “wouldn’t be good.” This was followed by two more calls from the SDO Madam of Ballia, urging me to delete the video.
These three calls are verifiable in my call records. Despite the pressure, I chose to make the video public instead of deleting it, resulting in the FIR with what I perceive as entrapment charges, Anjum said.
इसी वीडियो के आधार पर FIR हुई
अब देखिए और सोचिए
इस वीडियो से आपको क्या पता चल रहा है ?
दिख रहा है कि फॉर्म अधूरे अपलोड हो रहे हैं .
कुछ फॉर्म में नाम और दस्तखत के अलावा बाकी सारे कॉलम खाली हैं .
न फोटो है . न कुछ भरा गया .इसकी क्या विश्वसनीयता है ? यही सवाल पूछा गया . वहां… pic.twitter.com/aGaIFZ3fs7— Ajit Anjum (@ajitanjum) July 15, 2025
Ajit Anjum’s revelations: discrepancies in Bihar’s SIR process
Anjum’s relentless ground reporting from various corners of Bihar has meticulously exposed a systemic pattern of discrepancies within the ECI’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. His investigations highlighted how clear guidelines are routinely circumvented, such as voters being denied mandated acknowledgment receipts. He also uncovered the absurd reality of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) themselves being supplied with only single copies of forms, forcing citizens to photocopy their own documents – a significant and impractical burden.
His reports have showed the voices of villagers struggling to meet arbitrary documentary demands, vividly illustrating the profound disconnect between policy formulation at higher levels and its challenging implementation at the ground level. He specifically flagged instances where forms were allegedly collected from voters without their full knowledge or were incomplete, asserting that action should be taken against the BDO and SDO, rather than solely blaming BLOs. He cited a news report from Dainik Bhaskar’s Begusarai edition that detailed “massive fraud involving forms” in a block, which he claimed mirrored his findings in Ballia.
ये बिहार के मानसी ब्लॉक के BDO हैं.
‘ SIR’ पर इनके झूठे दावे का फैक्ट चेक इनके सामने ही करने लगा तो मौका देखकर किनारे से निकल गए . फिर वहां मौजूदसारे BLO को उन्होंने मीटिंग के नाम पर ऊपर बुला लिया .
क्या पता कल खगड़िया में भी FIR हो जाए .
पूरा वीडियो कमेंट बॉक्स में pic.twitter.com/ObTPEIQeaB— Ajit Anjum (@ajitanjum) July 15, 2025
Opposition leaders condemn action
The registration of the FIR has drawn sharp condemnation from opposition parties. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav took to X (formerly Twitter) to vehemently condemn the FIR, highlighting the ECI’s alleged indifference to “continuous irregularities, malpractices, constantly changing rules, and questions raised by the opposition and voters regarding the voter list revision process.”
He said that “senior journalist Ajit Anjum ji did exactly what an impartial and honest journalist should do immediately when irregularities are found in a crucial democratic process related to voters’ rights. When natural questions were raised about the deliberate irregularities and superficial efforts in the voter list revision process, on what moral grounds did the Election Commission get an FIR filed against Ajit Anjum ji after being caught red-handed? The filing of an FIR by the Nitish government against a senior impartial journalist is utterly condemnable.”
मतदाता सूची पुनरीक्षण प्रक्रिया में लगातार सामने आ रही धांधली, गड़बड़ी, लगातार बदलते नियम और विपक्ष तथा मतदाताओं द्वारा उठाए जा रहे सवालों के प्रति चुनाव आयोग बिल्कुल बेपरवाह है। चुनाव आयोग चाहता है कि वह गड़बड़ी करते जाए और उन पर कोई उंगली भी ना उठाए!
वरिष्ठ अजीत अंजुम जी ने… pic.twitter.com/I5HLaxGxoL
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) July 14, 2025
Congress leader Srinivas BV praised Anjum, calling the FIR “a badge of honour for his journalism,” and criticised the current ECI for “sycophancy to power,” alleging it has “forgotten its constitutional responsibility.”
अजित अंजुम जी के ऊपर हुई FIR उनकी पत्रकारिता के लिए एक तमगा है।
जो काम बड़े-बड़े चैनलों को करना था वो उन्होंने करने की हिम्मत दिखाई, मौजूदा चुनाव आयोग सत्ता की दलाली में ये भी भूल गया कि उसकी संवैधानिक जिम्मेदारी क्या है। @ECISVEEP @ajitanjum https://t.co/Xt1G35cGEU
— Srinivas BV (@srinivasiyc) July 14, 2025
However, the ongoing SIR is an unprecedented exercise initiated by the Election Commission of India in Bihar to update electoral rolls before the November 2025 assembly elections. While the ECI claims it aims for accuracy and purity, concerns have surfaced regarding its legality, arbitrary distinctions between voters, the burden of proving citizenship, and the potential for mass disenfranchisement, especially for migrants and marginalised communities. Petitioners, including ADR and others, argued in the Supreme Court that the SIR disproportionately targets certain groups and might be a de facto citizenship screening.
The Supreme Court on July 10, while not imposing a stay, urged the ECI to expand its accepted documents for identity proof to include Aadhaar, Voter ID, and Ration cards, emphasising that the focus should be on accurate identity, not citizenship.