Mumbai, Maharashtra: The Mumbai Cyber Police have filed a First Information Report (FIR) against a US-based man, Shuja Syed, for allegedly making false claims about being able to hack and tamper with electronic voting machines (EVMs). The accused, originally from Kerala, is accused of sharing a video on social media where he asserts that he can manipulate EVMs by isolating their frequency.
The Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) issued a statement condemning the claims, emphasizing that they were baseless, unfounded, and aimed at creating confusion regarding the integrity of the EVMs used in elections. The video, which circulated widely on social media, raised concerns about the security and tamper-proof nature of EVMs used in Maharashtra’s elections. Following a formal complaint from the CEO, an FIR was lodged at the Cyber Police Station in Mumbai on Saturday night.
The FIR has been filed under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita (BNS), 2023, as well as under sections 43 (g) and 66 (d) of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000. The police have stated that the claims made by Syed were unsubstantiated and emphasized that EVMs are completely tamper-proof. They reiterated that EVMs are standalone machines, which cannot be connected to any network, including Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and thus cannot be tampered with remotely.
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The Election Commission of India (ECI) has consistently assured the public about the security of EVMs, stating that they are designed to be tamper-resistant. The ECI has also published a comprehensive FAQ section on its website to address any doubts or misconceptions about EVMs, further reinforcing the credibility of the election process. The Supreme Court of India has also endorsed the use of EVMs in multiple rulings.
This is not the first time Syed has faced legal action for making similar claims. In 2019, he was involved in a similar controversy after the general elections, when he allegedly made claims about hacking EVMs during a conference in the UK. Authorities in Mumbai are currently investigating his whereabouts, as Syed’s last known location is in the United States.
The police have assured that the investigation is ongoing, and they are taking steps to address the spread of misinformation regarding EVMs, which could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
