Police recovered 343 voter ID cards from the Narmada river at Mandleshwar.
Volunteers spotted the cards during a cleaning drive at the river ghats.
Cards reportedly carry Indore addresses; investigators are examining how they reached Mandleshwar.
343 Voter ID Cards Found In Narmada River; Congress Alleges ‘Vote Chori’
Members of the Indore-based Niswaarth Samajik Seva Samiti were cleaning the ghats when they found more than 300 voter ID cards
Summary
Hundreds of voter ID cards bearing addresses reportedly linked to Indore residents were found in the Narmada river at Mandleshwar on Sunday, prompting a police inquiry and Congress allegations of “vote chori”.
Police said 343 cards were recovered from the site in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone district after volunteers spotted them during a cleaning drive. Investigators have yet to establish how the cards reached the river or who discarded them.
Members of the Indore-based Niswaarth Samajik Seva Samiti were cleaning the ghats when they found the cards, Mandleshwar Sub-Divisional Officer of Police Shweta Shukla told The Times of India.
“A revenue team later reached the spot on the instructions of SDM, prepared a panchnama and seized the cards,” she said.
Mandleshwar police station in-charge Pankaj Tiwari confirmed that 343 cards had been collected.
“They reportedly bear addresses of Indore localities like Astha Palace, Shraddha Puri and Akash Nagar under Assembly Constituency 207, among other places,” he said.
A purported video showing voter ID cards scattered along the riverbank also circulated on social media.
Police Launces Probe
Sub-Divisional Magistrate Purva Mandloi said a tehsildar had been sent to investigate. She said action would be taken against those found responsible once the inquiry established the circumstances, India Today reported.
Police have also received a written complaint from Congress.
“A complaint submitted by Congress has been forwarded to Mandleshwar police station in-charge for inquiry,” Shukla said.
Congress Alleges ‘Vote Chori’, Seeks FIR
District Congress president Ravi Naik questioned how so many voter ID cards could end up at one location. He alleged possible involvement of people associated with the election machinery and demanded a detailed inquiry.
The Madhya Pradesh Congress raised the matter on X, asking how cards reportedly belonging to Indore voters had reached Mandleshwar. The party accused the BJP of involvement in alleged “vote chori” and sought an impartial Election Commission investigation.
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Congress workers demanded an FIR. Police have not established responsibility for the cards being discarded.
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