The Mumbai Police have registered a case against Mangesh Pandilkar, brother-in-law of newly elected Mumbai North West Lok Sabha MP Ravindra Waikar for allegedly using a mobile phone at a counting center on June 4, the day Lok Sabha election results were announced. Police sources allege that Pandilkar used the phone to generate a One-Time Password (OTP) to unlock an electronic voting machine (EVM) at the center located in Mumbai’s Goregaon area, Maharashtra.
Waikar, a member of the Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, narrowly defeated Amol Gajanan Kirtikar from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena by just 48 votes, sparking controversy.
After the result declaration, the police and Election Commission received complaints from multiple candidates contesting the seat. An Election Commission employee was also implicated for allegedly providing the mobile phone to Pandilkar.
Dinesh Gurav, the poll officer, reportedly possessed the phone crucial for generating the OTP to unlock EVMs, intended strictly for election officers.
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Statements were obtained from Pandilkar and the Election Commission official involved, with further consultation sought from the returning officer.
Police investigations are examining the phone’s role in OTP generation and its use for data handling and calls. Pandilkar reportedly admitted to using the phone from morning until 4:30 pm on the crucial day.
Three dedicated teams from the Mumbai Police are delving into the matter, focusing on reviewing CCTV footage provided by the Election Commission for pertinent insights.
The controversy gained traction after tech billionaire Elon Musk expressed apprehensions regarding EVMs, advocating their potential elimination due to perceived vulnerabilities to hacking.
