Mumbai Police File Case Against MP Ravindra Waikar's Brother-In-Law Over EVM Incident

The Mumbai Police have registered a case against Mangesh Pandilkar, brother-in-law of newly elected Mumbai North West Lok Sabha MP Ravindra Waikar, for allegedly using a mobile phone at a counting centre on June 4, the day the Lok Sabha election results were announced.

Pandilkar is accused of using the phone inside the Goregaon counting centre in Mumbai to generate a One-Time Password (OTP) to unlock an electronic voting machine (EVM). This incident has raised concerns and led to police action.

Ravindra Waikar, representing the Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, narrowly defeated Amol Gajanan Kirtikar of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena by just 48 votes, prompting controversy and a challenge from Thackeray's faction.

Following the election results, several candidates from the Mumbai North West constituency lodged complaints with the police and Election Commission. In response, the police also registered a case against an Election Commission employee for allegedly providing the mobile phone to Pandilkar.

Sources indicate that Dinesh Gurav, the poll officer, possessed the phone responsible for generating the OTP needed to unlock the EVM. The device, by rule, should only be used by an election officer.

Police have taken statements from Pandilkar and the Election Commission official involved. They are also consulting the returning officer for further action. Investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of phone usage, including data handling and calls made during the contentious period.

Three police teams have been formed to investigate the matter, with a focus on reviewing CCTV footage provided by the Election Commission. The investigation will include accessing call records and determining how many OTPs were received and calls made.

The controversy is set against the backdrop of tech billionaire Elon Musk's comments on the potential risks of EVMs, which has fueled further debate. Prominent opposition figures, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, have echoed concerns about EVM integrity and transparency, calling for a return to ballot paper voting.

Despite these allegations, the Election Commission has consistently maintained that EVMs are "100 percent safe" and dismissed claims of potential hacking.