Madhya Pradesh: 43 voter IDs, some burnt, found outside union minister Virendra Kumar's bungalow in Tikamgarh; collector orders probe

BHOPAL: The Collector of Tikamgarh district in Madhya Pradesh, Vivek Kshotriya, has ordered an inquiry after 43 voter ID cards — several of them in burnt condition — were recovered outside the government bungalow of Union Minister Dr Virendra Kumar on Civil Line Road late Tuesday night.The matter came to light when Vivek Chaturvedi, former chairman of the Co-operative Bank, spotted the IDs lying on the road near the bungalow and alerted the administration. A revenue team led by Tehsildar Satyendra Singh Gurjar and Patwari staff rushed to the spot and seized the cards.CCTV footage from a shop across the road later showed a woman from a nearby government quarter throwing the IDs out with a dustbin. The quarters are occupied by employees of the CMHO office, and one of them, identified as Santosh Ambedkar, is posted as a clerk there.When contacted, Collector Vivek Kshotriya told TOI that an inquiry has been ordered and prima facie no foul play has been detected. “It seems to be a case of negligence. Some of the people whose voter IDs were found have died, while others have already been issued valid cards by the department. I am waiting for the inquiry report for further action,” he said.Officials confirmed that the IDs belong to voters of Tikamgarh district.

The Election Branch has been asked to verify all seized documents. Police have also been asked to trace how the cards landed in the quarters and whether they were connected to any misuse.Meanwhile, it is also being alleged that the IDs had been dumped deliberately near the Union Minister’s residence to defame him. There are also demands for a thorough probe into whether the discarded IDs were linked to scams. The Collector has assured a fair inquiry into the matter.