The Election Commission of India on Tuesday suspended four officials and announced that an FIR would be lodged against them for allegedly sharing login credentials of the electoral roll database with “unauthorised persons” and for the “wrongful addition of names to the electoral rolls” in two assembly constituencies in West Bengal.

The alleged breach took place in Baruipur Purba constituency of South 24 Parganas and the Moyna constituency in Purba Medinipur district.

After the lapse was brought to the notice of central poll body during a general revision exercise of the voter list in the state, it ordered the immediate suspension of four officials — Debottam Dutta Choudhury (Electoral Registration Officer), Tathagata Mandal (Assistant Electoral Registration Officer), Biplab Sarkar (Electoral Registration Officer) and Sudipta Das (Assistant Electoral Registration Officer), who is a Panchayat Accounts and Audit Officer.

“The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal had forwarded a report on July 29 informing about the wrongful addition of names in the electoral rolls by EROs and AEROs of Baruipur Purba and Moyna assembly constituencies. It has been reported that the said officers have not only failed to perform duty as ERO and AERO while disposing off the applications but also violated the policy of data security while sharing their login credentials of the electoral roll database with unauthorised persons,” the central body informed the West Bengal chief secretary.

The central poll also stated that an FIR is also being filed against data entry operator Surojeet Halder.

Following the development, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya slammed the ruling Trinamool Congress, alleging that the voter lists were being tampered with to serve political interests.

– Ends

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