Khargone: Thousands of voter ID cards were found scattered along the banks of the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone district, triggering a political controversy and prompting the Congress to demand a First Information Report (FIR) and a thorough investigation.

The cards were discovered at a ghat in Mandleshwar, around 65 km from the Khargone district headquarters. Most of the cards are reportedly linked to voters in Indore’s Rau Assembly constituency, although officials have not yet established the exact number recovered or how the cards reached the riverbank.

The incident came to light after a video purportedly showing voter ID cards scattered along the riverbank went viral on social media. Police and administrative officials subsequently reached the location, collected the cards and documented the recovery.

The discovery prompted Congress workers to protest outside the Mandleshwar police station, alleging possible electoral irregularities and demanding accountability. Officials, meanwhile, have initiated an enquiry to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Officials seize voter ID cards and launch probe

Maheshwar Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Purva Mandloi confirmed that voter ID cards had been found along the Narmada riverbank and said a tehsildar had been directed to investigate the matter.

Mandloi said the exact number of cards recovered had not yet been determined. More information would become available after the enquiry, and action would be taken against those found responsible, she said.

According to Mandleshwar police official Shweta Shukla, members of the Niswarth Seva Samiti discovered the cards on Sunday morning while cleaning the Narmada ghat.

After receiving information about the discovery, the SDM dispatched a revenue department team to the location. The cards were collected after officials prepared a record of the recovery.

Shukla said the police had also received a written complaint regarding the incident. The station house officer had been assigned to investigate the matter, with further action to depend on the findings.

The investigation is expected to establish how the cards arrived at the ghat, whether they were discarded deliberately and who may have been responsible for bringing them there.

Most cards reportedly linked to Indore’s Rau constituency

One of the key aspects of the incident is the reported connection between most of the recovered voter ID cards and Indore’s Rau Assembly constituency.

However, officials have not yet confirmed the exact number of cards associated with the constituency or established how they came to be found in Khargone district.

The discovery of voter identity documents away from their reported area of origin has raised questions about their handling and disposal. Establishing the details will require officials to examine the recovered cards and determine whether they were valid, obsolete, duplicated or otherwise no longer in use.

At this stage, the available information does not establish that the cards were connected to electoral fraud or that votes were unlawfully cast or removed. The circumstances surrounding their recovery remain under investigation.

The findings will be important in determining whether the incident involved improper disposal of documents, a procedural lapse or a more serious violation of electoral rules.

Congress stages protest and demands FIR

The discovery prompted Congress workers to gather outside the Mandleshwar police station and demand a formal criminal investigation.

The protesters handed over hundreds of voter ID cards to the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDOP) and submitted an application seeking registration of an FIR.

Khargone District Congress president Ravi Nayak alleged that hundreds or thousands of voter ID cards had been found along the riverbank and in the Narmada. He claimed that the cards appeared to be associated with voters in Indore.

Nayak questioned how such a large number of voter identity documents could have ended up at the site and called for an impartial investigation.

The Congress has sought accountability and wants the authorities to establish whether anyone was responsible for the cards being abandoned or disposed of improperly.

The party’s allegations have not yet been substantiated by the investigation. Officials have not announced any confirmed finding of electoral malpractice or identified a person responsible for the incident.

Viral video brings attention to the discovery

The incident attracted wider attention after a video purportedly showing the voter ID cards scattered along the Narmada riverbank circulated on social media.

The footage brought the matter to the notice of local authorities and prompted officials to visit the ghat and secure the documents.

While the video helped draw attention to the discovery, it does not by itself establish how the cards reached the riverbank, when they were left there or whether the incident was connected to any electoral wrongdoing.

Those questions will need to be answered through the official enquiry, including an examination of the recovered documents and the circumstances in which they were found.

The authorities have not yet disclosed a final count of the cards or the complete details of their origins.

Investigation to establish responsibility

The administration and police are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the recovery. Officials have said that further action will be taken based on the findings.

The immediate priorities include determining the number of cards recovered, verifying the constituencies and voter details associated with them, and establishing how the documents came to be found at Mandleshwar.

The investigation will also need to determine whether the cards were discarded as part of a routine disposal process, abandoned improperly or connected to any unlawful activity.

For now, the discovery has triggered a political dispute, with the Congress demanding an FIR and an impartial probe while the authorities work to establish the facts.

The recovery of voter identity documents has raised legitimate questions about their handling, but the cause and responsibility for the incident remain unconfirmed. The official findings will be crucial in determining whether any electoral rules or other laws were violated.