3,400 SIR Voter Forms Found at Navi Mumbai Photocopy Shop; Five BLOs Suspended Amid Sena (UBT)-BJP Clash
A controversy has erupted in Navi Mumbai’s Kharghar after authorities found around 3,400 filled-in Special Intensive Revision (SIR) voter-enumeration forms at a private photocopy shop. The discovery has triggered an administrative inquiry, a police investigation and a political confrontation between Shiv Sena (UBT) and BJP workers.
The forms were found at a photocopy centre in Sector 19, Kharghar. Officials said the documents belonged to voters in the Panvel Assembly constituency and were linked to 11 polling stations. Most of the forms came from five polling stations, while smaller numbers were found from six others.
The issue came to light after complaints that SIR forms were being photocopied at the shop and that a man identified as Suraj Patil was allegedly in unauthorised possession of the documents. Police reached the premises and took Patil into custody for questioning.
Shiv Sena (UBT) workers confronted Patil, alleging that he was associated with the BJP youth wing. The confrontation escalated into a clash between workers of the two parties. A video of the incident subsequently circulated widely, bringing the matter into the political spotlight.
The administration seized the forms and transferred them to the police station. Officials are now examining how thousands of completed voter forms, containing information submitted by ordinary voters, reached a private photocopy centre in the first place.
The forms reportedly contain voter information collected during the SIR exercise, including photographs and other details, along with signatures of the concerned Booth Level Officers. Their presence outside the official custody chain has therefore raised concerns about the handling and security of voter information.
Raigad District Collector Kishan Jawale subsequently ordered disciplinary action against five Booth Level Officers. The five BLOs were suspended pending proceedings over the circumstances in which the forms under their responsibility reached the private premises.
Authorities have also registered a case against Suraj Patil under provisions of the Representation of the People Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, according to the Raigad administration. Police are investigating the alleged unauthorised possession and photocopying of the forms.
The political allegations, however, remain contested. Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders have questioned how such a large number of original voter forms could reach a private individual and alleged a connection with BJP youth-wing functionaries. BJP leader and Panvel Municipal Corporation Mayor Nitin Patil has denied that party workers were involved in the matter.
The controversy has also drawn criticism from NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who argued that suspending only the BLOs does not address the larger questions surrounding the SIR process. He has demanded accountability beyond the five suspended officials and sought a response from election authorities.
At the centre of the investigation is a crucial question: how did 3,400 completed voter forms move from the official election machinery to a private photocopy shop, and who authorised or facilitated their handling? The answer could determine whether the incident is treated primarily as an administrative lapse or as a wider breach involving voter-data security.
For now, the administration has secured the recovered forms, suspended the five BLOs and initiated disciplinary proceedings, while police investigate the circumstances surrounding their possession and alleged photocopying. The political dispute between Sena (UBT) and BJP is likely to continue as questions over the transparency and security of the SIR exercise remain unresolved.
