A Booth Level Officer (BLO) in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly district has been suspended after a preliminary investigation found irregularities in the deletion of 26 Hindu voters' names from a village electoral roll.
The action followed complaints by the village head and residents, who alleged that the voters were deliberately removed from the list due to communal prejudice. The case concerns Mohammadpur village in the Shergarh block, where the alleged deletions were made ahead of the upcoming panchayat elections.
Village Head Raises Complaint
According to reports, village head Rahul Gangwar lodged a complaint through the Uttar Pradesh government's Integrated Grievance Redressal System (IGRS), accusing BLO Nafees Mohammad Khan of removing the names of 26 Hindu voters from the electoral list.
Several villagers, including Ved Prakash, Hemkali, Lalita Devi, Rakesh and Dhakan Lal, also submitted affidavits supporting the complaint.
The complainants further alleged that Khan had acted in collusion with former village head Rehan Khan and accepted money to facilitate the removal of the voters' names. However, the alleged financial transaction remains an allegation.
Three-Member Committee Conducts Investigation
Following the complaint, the district administration constituted a three-member committee to investigate the matter. During the inquiry, the BLO reportedly failed to produce supporting documents or evidence justifying the deletion of the 26 voters' names.
The committee's findings established a prima facie case of improper deletion, prompting disciplinary action against the official.
BLO Suspended, Further Inquiry Ordered
Based on the investigation report, Basic Education Officer (BSA) Dr Vinita ordered the suspension of Nafees Mohammad Khan, who was serving as an assistant teacher at the Composite School in Mohammadpur.
He has been attached to the Composite School in Sahsa, under the Meerganj block. Block Education Officer Bhanu Shankar Gangwar has been appointed as the investigating officer and directed to submit a detailed report within 15 days.
Administration Confirms Action
Additional District Magistrate (Finance and Revenue) Santosh Kumar Singh confirmed that the complaint was investigated by a three-member committee and that the BLO was suspended after the allegations were found to have preliminary merit.
The incident has raised serious questions about electoral transparency and the impartiality of voter-list management at the grassroots level.