Delhi’s Mustafabad election official lodges police complaint seeking FIR over false Form 7s filing

The Form 7 applications sought removal of voters from Mustafabad’s electoral roll, claiming they were absent, permanently shifted, or dead. The issue mattered because election officials found many targeted voters still living at their registered addresses, including Muslim electors named in the applications.

Officials examined 37 applications after reports about allegedly false forms. The BLO and AERO verified the claims in the field. Three voters described as dead were found alive, while the other electors were also found at their addresses. Only one application was found to be correct.

The north east District Election Officer said 36 applications were false or fabricated. The ERO lodged a police complaint seeking an FIR under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Verification of other Form 7 applications remains in progress, and further action may follow.

Form 7 is an Election Commission application for requesting deletion of an elector’s name from a constituency’s electoral roll. It is used when an objector claims that a voter is dead, has permanently shifted, or is otherwise no longer eligible at that address. Because deletion can remove someone from the voter list, the request is subject to scrutiny.

In Mustafabad, applications named an objector and gave reasons such as “absent/permanently shifted” or “dead.” The BLO and AERO checked the claims through field verification. They found three people described as dead alive at their addresses, and found the other listed electors living there as well.

The case shows why Form 7 is not supposed to produce automatic deletion. Officials must examine the application and verify the voter’s circumstances. Here, 36 of 37 examined forms were classified as false or fabricated, while verification of other applications continues.

The most striking finding was the scale of the alleged falsification. Election officials examined 37 Form 7 applications filed against voters in Mustafabad and found that 36 contained false or fabricated claims. That means only one application was considered accurate after verification.

The checks were conducted by the Booth-Level Officer and Assistant Electoral Registration Officer. Three electors described in the forms as dead were found alive at their addresses. The remaining electors were also found living at the addresses recorded in the applications. The forms had cited reasons including death and being absent or permanently shifted.

The north east District Election Officer said the findings independently confirmed the reports. The ERO then lodged a police complaint seeking an FIR under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act. Officials said verification of other Form 7 applications was still underway.

Booth-Level Agents, or BLAs, are representatives appointed by political parties for specific polling areas. Their role is connected with checking or raising concerns about electoral-roll entries. In this case, BJP-appointed BLAs were named as objectors on Form 7 applications seeking voter deletions.

The Hindu’s analysis found that 20 BJP BLAs were named in 787 deletion applications in Mustafabad. Sixteen of those 20 agents denied submitting, signing, or knowing about the forms. One BLA, Chandra Shekhar Nainwal, was named in applications and denied filing them or having an association with the BJP, while a later report said he claimed to have filed “over 500.”

A BLA’s name appearing as an objector therefore identifies the person recorded against the request, not necessarily proof that the person personally submitted it. The disputed identities prompted complaints, official verification, and a police complaint against the BLA involved.

The ERO sought an FIR after election officials found that 36 of 37 Form 7 applications contained false or fabricated claims. The forms sought deletion of voters who were found living at their registered addresses. Officials therefore treated the matter as more serious than an ordinary mistake in a voter-roll application.

The district election office said the BLA or objector had knowingly made a false statement or declaration in writing. It cited Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which applies to false statements connected with preparing or revising an electoral roll. The ERO lodged a police complaint on Friday, November 7, 2026.

The complaint begins the requested criminal process; it does not itself establish final guilt. Verification of other Form 7 applications is continuing. The DEO said necessary action would follow under Election Commission guidelines and the applicable law.

People responsible for knowingly submitting false written statements could face legal action under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The article records a police complaint and a request for an FIR, but it does not state what punishment would ultimately be imposed or whether anyone has been convicted.

The safeguards described are practical checks before deletion. BLOs and AEROs scrutinise Form 7 applications and conduct field verification. In Mustafabad, they checked whether voters were actually dead, absent, or permanently shifted. They found three people described as dead alive at their addresses, and found the other listed electors there too.

The ERO, DEO, and police process provide further oversight. Officials said verification of other forms was continuing and that necessary action would be taken under Election Commission guidelines and the applicable law. These checks help protect eligible voters from erroneous or fabricated objections.

An accurate electoral roll is fundamental because it identifies the people entitled to take part in elections. If eligible voters are wrongly removed, they may be unable to cast their ballots or participate through the electoral system. Reliable records therefore support representative government and public confidence in elections.

The Mustafabad case shows the danger clearly. Form 7 applications described voters as dead, absent, or permanently shifted, but officials found three supposedly dead electors alive and found the other listed voters at their addresses. The Hindu also reported that the applications were against Muslim electors in several areas.

The safeguards include scrutiny by BLOs and AEROs, field verification, and review by electoral officers. Officials found 36 of 37 examined applications false or fabricated. Continued verification and possible legal action are intended to protect the roll’s accuracy and eligible voters’ access to it.