Five FIRs registered in Karnataka over misuse of Form 7

The controversy over the misuse of Form 7 during Karnataka’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has intensified, with police registering five FIRs in different parts of the state over attempts to seek deletion of voters’ names.

The cases, registered in Belagavi, Bidar and Mysuru, involve allegations that voters were falsely shown as having shifted from their addresses or being unavailable despite continuing to live there. Police have invoked provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to cheating, forgery, impersonation and conspiracy.

The complaints have raised questions over whether bulk applications were submitted using incorrect details, forged signatures or without the consent of the voters named in them.

Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer V Anbu Kumar said the Election Commission of India had received around 84,900 Form 7 applications during the SIR exercise, but no voter had been removed merely because an application was filed. Form 7 allows objections to a voter’s inclusion or requests for deletion from the electoral roll.

Kumar said officials had been directed to act against anyone deliberately providing false information. Action can be taken under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act following an inquiry under Rule 20 of the Registration of Electors Rules.

In Belagavi, an FIR was registered on September 30 following a complaint by Meersab Sanadi, a Booth Level Agent in the Belagavi North constituency. BJP leader Ravi Patil and others were named in the case. Sanadi alleged that applications had been submitted seeking deletion of at least 198 voters, including himself, his brother, relatives and neighbours.

According to the complaint, some applications already contained voters’ details, while information about the objectors was incomplete or handwritten. Some Booth Level Officers reportedly refused to endorse the applications after recognising the voters as local residents.

A separate FIR in Bidar on October 1 named 32 people over applications filed against 3,244 voters. The complaint alleged false claims that voters had shifted or were unavailable, along with forged signatures and missing supporting documents.

None of the five FIRs directly invoke the Representation of the People Act. The police cases instead rely on criminal law provisions concerning forgery, cheating, and conspiracy.