RTI activist Saket Gokhale has made sensational revelations accusing Election Commission of India of unlawfully sharing the photos and addresses of the residents of North-East Delhi with the police after the pogrom of February 2020.
Gokhale has shared a letter from the ECI, alleging that the entire voter list has been shared illegally with Delhi police containing photographs and addresses to let them identify the people.
RTI activist Saket Gokhale wrote to his Twitter wall, “The 1st line of the order itself admits that voter lists shared with police CANNOT contain photos. ECI broke these rules & made these full voter lists WITH PHOTOS available to police after the Delhi pogrom. This is an easy way to identify minorities living in any area.”
He further added, “Scores of young Muslim innocent men were picked up by police arbitrarily. Are voter lists with photos being shared in other places too for building a “facial recognition” database? THIS IS SERIOUS!” and tagged ECI spokesperson Shyephali Sharan.
“I am directed to refer to your letter No F 2.(12/CEO/ER/ 2012351 dated 06.03.2020, on the subject cited, and to state that the electoral database of entire AC/District should not be shared with the Police Authorities in accordance with the Commission’s prevailing policy and practice The Commission, keeping in view of the request of Delhi Police that photographs of electors, as available in the electoral roll of North-East Shahdara and East Delhi Districts are to be matched with the photographs of culprits captured through CCTV and other video footage available with the investigation team of recent incidence of violence in Delhi, has directed to advise CEO Delhi to display the electoral roll along with images of electors of North-East Parliamentary Constituency before the investigating officer in his office Action be taken accordingly,” says the letter shared by Gokhale.