Karnataka SIR: Objectors used death certificates of people to seek deletion of names of voters with similar names

Basanagouda Patil Yatnal. | Photo Credit: File photo

Initial investigation into the controversy of some living voters declared dead by third-party objectors who wanted their names removed from the electoral rolls in Vijayapura has revealed that some objectors had used real death certificates to seek deletion of names of voters with similar names.

The controversy erupted after eight persons submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer (DEO) that third-party objectors had sought deletion of their names from the voter lists, claiming that they had died. The objectors, including some followers of Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, expelled BJP MLA, had attached copies of death certificates along with Form-7 objections as per the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) norms.

K. Anand, DEO, who received the memorandum, ordered an inquiry into the incident. Officers who were investigating the issue had two questions before them: to check whether the persons who claimed to be facing the objections were the genuine voters mentioned in the Form-7 applications or not, and if the death certificates were fake and who had issued them.

It was found that the voters were genuine victims. Their addresses, mobile and EPIC numbers matched and the names of their relatives were in the electoral rolls. Interestingly, the death certificates were not fake, and were issued by qualified doctors working at real hospitals. A large number of these were issued by private hospitals while some were given by the city corporation. The deaths had taken place mostly at the hospitals, following a period of illness.