Kolkata, 05 January (H.S.) : Serious concerns have emerged over the integrity of the electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal. The office of the Chief Electoral Officer has identified at least 14 voters who possess Indian Elector Photo Identity Cards while also holding Bangladeshi passports.

According to official sources, the Chief Electoral Officer’s office received inputs suggesting that some voters may be original residents of Bangladesh who had entered India on valid visas but failed to return after their visas expired. Based on these inputs, verification was sought from the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Kolkata.

In its report, the FRRO confirmed that all 14 individuals are Bangladeshi passport holders. The report stated that they had entered West Bengal legally with valid visas but did not return to Bangladesh after the expiry of their visa period. It is alleged that they later managed to obtain Indian identity documents and subsequently got their names enrolled in the electoral rolls.

Following these findings, the Chief Electoral Officer’s office has recommended to the Election Commission of India that the names of these 14 individuals be deleted from the final electoral rolls. The final voters’ list is scheduled to be published on February 14.

The cases have been detected in three districts — North 24 Parganas, Nadia, and East Midnapore. As North 24 Parganas and Nadia share international borders with Bangladesh, these areas are considered highly sensitive from both security and electoral perspectives. Officials said the districts have remained under close watch due to repeated concerns over illegal infiltration and forged documentation.

Investigations by the West Bengal Police and the Enforcement Directorate have revealed a systematic method allegedly used to integrate illegal infiltrators into the Indian system. According to investigators, such individuals were first provided shelter in villages near the India-Bangladesh border. Fake birth certificates and ration cards were then allegedly arranged through local-level collusion.

Using these documents, Aadhaar and PAN cards were procured, which later formed the basis for obtaining voter identity cards and, in some cases, even Indian passports. Authorities said this multi-layered process has enabled several infiltrators to become part of the electoral system, posing a serious challenge to internal security and democratic processes.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh