5 BLOs Suspended After 3,400 Voter Forms Found at Kharghar Photocopy Shop
Five Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were suspended after 3,400 voter enumeration forms related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls were found at a private photocopy shop in Sector 19, Kharghar, triggering a clash between Shiv Sena (UBT) and BJP workers.
The matter came to light after a video went viral on Thursday, showing Shiv Sena (UBT) workers confronting a man, identified as Suraj Patil, while he was allegedly getting SIR forms photocopied at the shop. Sena (UBT) members alleged that Patil was an office-bearer of the BJP Youth Wing.
Local police rushed to the scene, took Patil into custody, and seized thousands of printed SIR forms from the premises before transferring them to the police station. Sena (UBT) workers subsequently alleged that Patil managed to flee the Kharghar police station shortly after being brought in for questioning.
Raigad District Collector Kishan Jawale said a case has been registered against Patil under the Representation of the People Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Mr. Jawale visited the office of Panvel Sub-Divisional Officer Pawan Chandak to review the matter and ordered the suspension of five BLOs pending disciplinary proceedings.
Following complaints, the Electoral Registration Officer deputed Assistant Electoral Registration Officers to inspect the photocopy centre. Officials found that Patil had brought 3,400 applications pertaining to voters in the Panvel Assembly constituency to the shop. Scrutiny revealed that the forms belonged to 11 polling stations, with the majority originating from five polling stations and single copies coming from six others.
Shiv Sena (UBT) office-bearer Balesh Bhojane questioned how official forms filled by ordinary citizens reached private individuals. However, Panvel Municipal Corporation Mayor and BJP leader Nitin Patil claimed that party workers had no connection with the incident.
Opposition NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar said the suspension of the BLOs was insufficient and called for action against higher authorities and involved political workers, demanding a response from the Election Commission.
