The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday directed a probe after a large number of VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) slips were found dumped near SR College in Shitalpatti village of Samastipur district, Bihar. Officials later confirmed that the slips were used during the mock poll conducted ahead of the first phase of voting on Thursday.
CEC Orders Immediate Inquiry
Taking note of the incident, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar instructed the Samastipur District Magistrate (DM) to visit the location and conduct an investigation.
“DM Samastipur was directed to visit the spot and inquire. As these are VVPAT slips of Mock Poll, integrity of the polling process remains uncompromised. Contesting Candidates have also been informed by the DM. However, concerned ARO is being suspended for negligence and an FIR is being registered,” the ECI said in a statement.
Residents alerted authorities after noticing several printed VVPAT slips scattered near the college premises. The local administration quickly moved in, and a preliminary investigation confirmed that the slips were indeed from a mock poll exercise held before polling began.
DM Confirms Technical Lapse
District Magistrate (DM)-cum-District Election Officer (DEO) of Samastipur, Roshan Kushwaha, confirmed that the slips were found near the commissioning and dispatch centre of the Sarairanjan Assembly segment.
“These were located at the commissioning and dispatch centre. Upon inspection, it was observed that among a large quantity of shredded slips, a few unshredded slips were present,” the DM said. “The administration has confiscated and seized these slips. An FIR is being lodged against those responsible for negligence. The investigation will establish the exact nature of the recovered slips. This is purely a technical matter, and all details will become clear after the inquiry.”
He further explained that mock polls are part of the standard process to ensure EVM and VVPAT functionality. “During the commissioning process, mock polls are conducted on 5 percent of the voting machines, with around 1,000 votes cast on each as part of testing. Additionally, during commissioning, each candidate’s button is pressed to verify that the correct symbol has been loaded. These mock polls generate a significant number of VVPAT slips. Among these, some shredded and some unshredded slips have been found. The matter is under investigation, and an FIR will be registered against those found responsible,” he added.
ARO Suspended, Political Reactions Surface
Following the Chief Election Commissioner’s directive, the concerned Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) was suspended for negligence in handling the election material. District authorities have launched a detailed inquiry to determine if any procedural lapses occurred during disposal. The findings will soon be submitted to the ECI.
Meanwhile, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) questioned the incident on X, saying, “A large number of VVPAT slips coming out of EVMs were found thrown on the road near KSR College in the Sarairanjan Assembly constituency of Samastipur. When, how, why, and on whose instructions were these slips thrown? Will the ‘thief commission’ answer this? Is all this happening on the directions of the ‘dacoit of democracy’ who has camped in Bihar from outside?”