EC lodges complaint against ‘EVM hacker’

Mumbai: Amidst wide-spread allegations regarding the tampering of electronic voting machines in the assembly polls held on November 20, in which the ruling Mahayuti alliance registered a resounding victory, police in Delhi and Mumbai have registered criminal cases against a social media user, Syed Shuja, who claimed that EVMs were tampered with by isolating their frequency. EC lodges complaint against ‘EVM hacker’ On Sunday, the office of Maharashtra’s chief electoral officer also warned of strict action against those questioning EVMs, saying they were responsible for spreading misinformation, indulging in insinuations and sensationalising the matter. “The claims made by the person regarding the hacking and tampering of EVMs in the Maharashtra elections by isolating their frequency are baseless and false,” the office of the CEO said in a press statement issued on Sunday. EVM is a standalone machine that cannot be connected to any network including any Wi-Fi or any Bluetooth by any person whatsoever, so the question of manipulation does not arise, the statement said, adding, “EVMs are completely tamper proof, and the supreme court has time and again reposed faith in them.” The statement noted that the Mumbai cyber police have booked Shuja under section 318 of Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita, 2023, and sections 43 and 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000.