Andhra Pradesh’s mass vote deletion probe hits roadblock

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh police’s Special Investigation Team probing the mass (vote) deletion application cases has hit a roadblock due to non-availability of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses from where the applications were uploaded.

Election Commission authorities have written to the investigators stating that it was not technically possible to provide IP addresses of those who uploaded the Form-7 applications. Around 45 First Information Reports (FIR) were registered in Andhra Pradesh after around 13 lakh Form-7 applications were filed for deletion of votes though in many cases the persons were existing.

The FIRs were booked under criminal conspiracy, cheating and several other sections of the IPC, the Representation of People Act and the Information Technology Act. The election authorities had written to C-DAC for the IP addresses. However, the IP addresses could not be provided due to technical reasons.

An SIT officer said, “Unless we trace out IP location, it is not possible to identify and fix up people who were involved in the mass deletion of votes.”

Around 45 First Information Reports (FIR) were registered in Andhra Pradesh after around 13 lakh Form-7 applications were filed for deletion of votes though in many cases the persons were existing.