The Election Commission of India (ECI) has recommended suspension of an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer along with two more officers and three outsourcing employees for allegedly and unauthorisedly downloading about 34,000 Electors Photo Identification Cards (EPIC) between March and April in 2021 in Tirupati Assembly Constituency, during the time of Tirupati Lok Sabha by-elections.
Further, the ECI has ordered for a police inquiry into the allegations. The ECI, reportedly, has established prima facie in this case through the official servers of the Commission, from where the alleged EPIC cards were downloaded and misused during the by-elections.
Sources in the ECI informed that all these EPICs were downloaded from the login of the then Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), who was working as Commissioner of Tirupati Municipal Corporation. At present, the ERO is discharging duties as a Collector of a district. The ECI has also recommended the suspension of the then Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) and outsourcing employees.
