Mumbai police constable shares picture of postal ballot online, EC officials lodges FIR

MUMBAI: The JJ Marg police on Sunday registered an FIR against a 40-year-old police constable for allegedly taking a photo of his postal ballot paper and making it viral. The returning officer of the Byculla Vidhan Sabha constituency lodged the FIR. The constable, Riyaz Pathan, attached to the Sewree police station in central Mumbai, cast his vote through the postal ballot paper on November 14.
He is originally from Koregaon in Satara district. After he sent the photo of his postal ballot paper, it went viral in Satara. When it came to the notice of the election commission officials, they conducted a preliminary enquiry and informed the returning officer in Mumbai's Byculla constituency where Pathan cast his vote. Following this, an FIR was registered against him.
In a similar but separate case on Friday, the Gamdevi police booked a police constable for allegedly taking a photo of his postal ballot after casting his vote and sharing it with his relatives. The viral photo came to the notice of the election commission officials, who lodged an FIR.
The constable was suspended, and a preliminary enquiry (PE) was initiated. The constable, Ganesh Shinde, attached to the local arms (LA) unit of the city police, originally belongs to the Ashti constituency of Beed district. The govt officials, who are on election duty or away from their constituency, were provided the facility to cast their vote at various centres in the city between November 14 and 16.
Shinde voted through the postal voting system at a centre in a south Mumbai college. He then allegedly clicked a photo of the ballot, and later it went viral in Beed district. This came to the notice of the election officials, and during the initial inquiry, they learnt the ballot paper was given to Shinde in Mumbai. The returning officer in south Mumbai was informed.
During the initial inquiry, Shinde denied it but later admitted to sending the photo to a relative. It then reportedly went viral. Following this, an FIR was registered against him for disobedience to an order promulgated by a public servant under the BNS and maintenance of secrecy of voting under the Representation of the People Act.