3,400 SIR forms found at Navi Mumbai photocopy shop; 5 BLOs suspended as Sena (UBT)-BJP clash

THANE/MUMBAI: Five Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were suspended after 3,400 enumeration forms related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls were found at a private photocopy shop in Navi Mumbai’s Kharghar, triggering a political confrontation between Shiv Sena (UBT) and BJP workers and prompting an administrative inquiry, police and district officials said.The forms, which were filled by voters from the Panvel Assembly constituency, were found at a photocopy centre in Sector 19 following complaints that SIR applications were being photocopied there and that a person associated with the BJP youth wing was allegedly in unauthorised possession of them.Police rushed to the shop and took Suraj Patil, who was allegedly getting the forms photocopied, into custody.Authorities also seized thousands of printed SIR forms from the premises and shifted them to the police station, news agency PTI reported.he controversy came to light after a video related to the incident went viral on Thursday.The administration subsequently ordered an inquiry into how forms filled by voters reached a private photocopy centre.Following the complaint, the Electoral Registration Officer deputed Assistant Electoral Registration Officers to inspect the photocopy centre.During the inspection, officials found that Patil had brought 3,400 applications to the shop.Scrutiny showed that the forms belonged to 11 polling stations. A majority of the applications were from five polling stations, while single copies were found from six other polling stations.Shiv Sena (UBT) workers had confronted Patil at the shop, alleging that he was a BJP Youth Wing office-bearer. BJP workers, however, denied any connection with the matter.Sena (UBT) workers also alleged that Patil managed to flee the Kharghar police station shortly after being taken there for questioning.Raigad district collector Kishan Jawale on Friday said a case had been registered against Patil under the Representation of the People Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.Jawale visited the office of Panvel Sub-Divisional Officer Pawan Chandak and said the five BLOs had been suspended pending disciplinary proceedings.Shiv Sena (UBT) office-bearer Balesh Bhojane questioned how SIR forms filled by ordinary voters could have reached private individuals and alleged that BJP youth wing functionaries were linked to the incident.Panvel Municipal Corporation mayor and BJP leader Nitin Patil, however, said party workers had no connection with the matter.Opposition NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar said suspending the five BLOs was not enough and alleged that the incident exposed problems in the way the SIR process was being conducted."We have been saying that the BJP is using this process to ensure its poll victory and this incident proves us right," he said.Pawar said he had sought a response from the Election Commission over the incident, but the authorities had passed the responsibility to the Election Commission of India."Suspending only the BLOs is not enough. The authorities who instructed them should also be suspended, and action should be taken against the BJP workers involved," Pawar added.He also said there could be many similar incidents that had not been detected and sought a response from the Election Commission.(With agency inputs)Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes, Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Thane | Silver Rate in Thane | Bank Holidays in Thane | Public Holidays in Thane | Petrol Price in Thane | Diesel Price in Thane | CNG Price in Thane | LPG Price in ThaneStay updated with the latest Thane news. Download the TOI App.