ECI orders EROs’ suspension over UP voter roll irregularities

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed the Uttar Pradesh authorities to suspend two Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) of the Pilibhit Assembly constituency with immediate effect following alleged irregularities in the electoral rolls, while also ordering the addition of another provision of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, to the FIR already registered against them.

In a letter dated October 31, addressed to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Uttar Pradesh, the Commission said it had examined the report submitted by the state authorities regarding alleged irregularities in the electoral roll of the Pilibhit Assembly constituency and issued a series of directions for strict compliance by all concerned.

The two officers identified by the Commission are Mayank Goswami and Hemant Chaudhary, who were serving as Electoral Registration Officers of the Assembly constituency. The Commission has directed that both officers be placed under suspension with immediate effect.

It has further instructed the state authorities to submit the charge sheets against the duo to the Commission for further vetting. The ECI has also made it clear that the officers concerned shall not be reinstated without its prior approval. All consequential action must be taken in accordance with the Commission’s instructions dated May 31, 2023.

In another significant direction, the Commission has asked the authorities to add Section 198 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, to the FIR already registered against the two officers and Anil Kumar, a VRC Computer Operator. It has also directed that the cases pending against them in the concerned court be pursued rigorously to ensure that the matter reaches its logical conclusion.

The Commission has sought a detailed report from the District Election Officer (DEO), Pilibhit, regarding the scrutiny of electoral rolls in all four Assembly constituencies of the district. The report, along with specific comments from the Chief Electoral Officer, has been directed to be submitted to the Commission within one week of the issuance of the letter.

The ECI has also sought an action-taken report against the VRC Computer Operator, along with details of the roles played by the five Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) of the Pilibhit Assembly constituency. This report must be furnished to the Commission within three days.

Extending its directions beyond Pilibhit, the Commission has asked the Chief Electoral Officer to instruct all District Election Officers and Electoral Registration Officers across Uttar Pradesh to thoroughly re-examine the electoral rolls under their respective jurisdictions.

The scrutiny has been specifically emphasised for data entry and processing related to additions, deletions and modifications made through Forms 6, 7 and 8, which are used for different voter registration and electoral roll revision purposes.

The Commission’s directions came in response to the report forwarded by the Uttar Pradesh CEO through a letter dated October 24, following an earlier communication from the ECI dated October 23, 2026.

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