Daijiworld Media Network – Kolkata

Kolkata, Oct 24: In a major security concern ahead of the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, police in West Bengal’s Nadia district detained a man found carrying around 250 voter identity cards.

The incident comes just days before the nationwide revision of electoral rolls begins, with West Bengal among the 10 states included in the first phase of the exercise starting in November. Bengal has a voter base of over 7.6 crore, officials said.

According to police, the man, a resident of Hind Motor in Hooghly district, claimed he had come to Kalyani to visit his sister and found the voter ID cards lying in bushes by the roadside. His explanation, however, failed to convince the authorities, who are now investigating how the cards reached the area and whether a larger network is involved.

Local residents, suspecting foul play, informed the police after noticing the man’s suspicious behaviour. The West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office has sought a detailed report from the Nadia District Magistrate regarding the recovery.

Reacting sharply, BJP MLA Ambika Roy accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of undermining democratic processes. “Free and fair elections in West Bengal have become a distant dream. Under Mamata Banerjee’s rule, booth capturing and vote looting have become common,” Roy alleged.

Police said the recovered voter IDs have been sent for verification as the investigation continues.