Mumbai News: Nepali Couple Arrested For Fake Voter IDs, Casting Votes In Maharashtra Polls

Mumbai: Amid ongoing controversies over voter list irregularities and allegations of bogus voting, yet another shocking case has emerged. A Nepali couple, residing in India for several years, was found to have procured fake voter identity cards and cast their votes multiple times in Maharashtra elections. The Sahar police are now investigating how they obtained these documents and managed to vote illegally.

Arrest and Custody
On August 18, Sahar police arrested Nain Singh Bist (61) and his wife Parvati Devi Bist (59), both Nepali nationals. They were initially remanded to two days of police custody and have since been sent to judicial custody.

Political Backdrop

The revelation comes against the backdrop of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that the Election Commission (EC) facilitated the creation of 40 lakh bogus voters in Maharashtra, raising serious concerns over the transparency of the electoral process. While the EC has denied these charges, complaints of duplicate names, ghost voters, and errors in electoral rolls continue to surface across the country.

Airport Checks Reveal Fraud

The fraud came to light during immigration checks at Mumbai airport when the couple arrived from Australia via Singapore. They carried Nepali passports but failed to provide satisfactory reasons for their travel. Further inquiry revealed they had been residing in Kamothe, Panvel, since 1995 and had fraudulently obtained Indian documents including PAN card, Aadhaar card, and voter ID. Their names were also found on the official voter list during verification by immigration officer Ganesh Gawli.

Repeated Voting Admission

During questioning, the couple admitted to casting their votes in five to six Maharashtra elections.

Police Investigation

The Sahar police have booked the couple under sections 336(2), 336(3), 340(2), and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for forgery and cheating.

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Senior Police Inspector Mahesh Chalke said, “India and Nepal do not allow dual citizenship. No foreign national can legally obtain an Indian passport or voter ID. We are probing how these documents were issued and whether a larger network is involved.”

Possible Wider Nexus

Police also suspect that several other Nepali and Bangladeshi nationals residing illegally in India may have obtained similar documents and voted in past elections.