The Election Commission on Tuesday said that it wants to lodge an FIR with the Delhi police against a self-proclaimed cyber expert for his claims that the 2014 Lok Sabha polls were rigged and the EVMs can be hacked.
In its letter, the EC said Syed Shuja has allegedly violated section 505 (1) of the IPC pertaining to spreading rumours which creates panic.
The EC asked the police to "investigate promptly" the statement made by Shuja yesterday at an event in London that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) can be tampered with and that the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were rigged.
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The section deals with "statements conducing to public mischief" and says that "whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement, rumour or report, with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquillity" will be punished with imprisonment "which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both".
When contacted, DCP (New Delhi) Madhur Verma said, "legal action will be taken" on EC's complaint.
Shuja had on Monday claimed at an event in London that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) can be tampered with and that the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were rigged.
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EC said it has been conducting Lok Sabha and assembly polls using EVMs for long and the Supreme Court and various high courts have endorsed the use of the machines through their judgments.
"On 3rd June, 2017, when a few political parties raised some issues regarding use of EVMs, ECI organised an open challenge for all to come forward and take an attempt to demonstrate any vulnerability of the EVMs. Nobody turned up...," the EC letter read.
After Shuja made his claims, the EC on Monday asserted that it firmly stands by the "empirical facts about foolproof nature of ECI EVMs" used in elections in India.
Addressing a press conference in London via Skype, Shuja had claimed he fled India in 2014 because he felt threatened in the country after the killing of some of his team members.
The outlandish and explosive claims, made in a cloak and dagger manner, could not be immediately confirmed. He claimed he was part of a team at the public sector Electronic Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL), which designed and developed the EVMs. He was presented at a press conference organised by the Indian Journalists' Association (Europe).
Although he appeared on screen through Skype, his face was masked.
PTI
