Two Pakistani Women Found On Bihar Voter List Amid Electoral Roll Revision, Probe Launched

Last Updated:August 24, 2025, 10:59 IST

According to officials, the case came to light when the Ministry of Home Affairs began checking records of foreign nationals who had overstayed their visas.

Bihar SIR Protest | File Image

Two Pakistani women who entered India in the 1950s have been found registered as voters in Bihar during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls, triggering an investigation by the Union Home Ministry.

Officials confirmed that both women, residents of Bhagalpur, were verified in the SIR process before being identified as foreign nationals.

According to officials, the case came to light when the Ministry of Home Affairs began checking records of foreign nationals who had overstayed their visas.

The women, who arrived in India in 1956, were flagged during this exercise, following which the process of removing their names from the electoral rolls has been initiated.

Booth Level Officer (BLO) Farzana Khanam, who carried out the verification, said she had received official communication with passport details that matched the women.

One of them was identified as Imrana Khanam. “She was not in a condition to talk as she is old and unwell. Her passport dates back to 1956, and she was issued a visa in 1958. Following departmental instructions, I filled out the necessary forms and began the process of deleting her name," Khanam explained.

The matter is now under formal inquiry, with further steps to be taken by higher authorities.

A notice from the Home Ministry had reached the local election office on August 11, directing verification and action.

The Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls is a state-wide exercise launched in July to verify the authenticity of entries in the voter list.

The drive, conducted ahead of the 2025 state Assembly elections, has already courted controversy, with opposition parties alleging irregularities and selective targeting of communities.

Officials maintain that the SIR is aimed at cleansing the rolls of duplicate, ineligible, or fraudulent entries to ensure free and fair elections.

The discovery of foreign nationals on the electoral rolls is expected to intensify the political debate in Bihar, where the revision exercise has already come under sharp scrutiny.

Location :

Bihar Sharif, India, India

First Published:

August 24, 2025, 10:59 IST

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