London EVM hackathon: EC asks Delhi Police to register FIR, probe claims by Syed Shuja

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday wrote to Delhi Police, requesting it to lodge an FIR and investigate the claims made by cyber expert Syed Shuja, who had said that he had proof of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) being hacked in various elections in India.

The ECI asked the Delhi Police to launch a proper investigation into the statement made by Syed Shuja at an event in London on Monday wherein he claimed that he would demonstrate that EVMs used by the polling body can be tampered with.

In its letter to the Delhi Police, the election commission has said, “Through media reports, it has come to the notice of the commission that allegedly one Mr Syed Shuja claimed (at the event in London) that he was part of the EVM design team and he can hack the EVMs used in elections in India.”

On Monday, as the event was organised in London, the election commission issued a statement, terming it as a “motivated slugfest”. The polling body reiterated that the EVMs used by it were fool-proof.

Here’s the full statement released by the ECI on Monday:

It has come to the notice of Election Commission of India that an event claiming to demonstrate EVMs used by ECI can be tampered with, has been organised in London.

Whereas, ECI has been wary of becoming a party to this motivated slugfest, ECI firmly stands by the empirical facts about fool proof nature of ECI EVMs deployed in elections in India.

It needs to be reiterated that these EVMs are manufactured in Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) under very strict supervisory and security conditions and there are rigorous Standard Operating Procedures meticulously observed at all stages under the supervision of a Committee of eminent technical experts constituted way back in 2010.

It is being separately examined as to what legal action can and should be taken in the matter.

The event in London was organised by the Indian Journalist Association of Europe in alliance with the Foreign Press Association of London. Speaking to mediapersons through a skype call, Syed Shuja, who claimed to have proof of EVMs being hacked during various elections in India, said that he was willing to make documents backing his claims public.

(With ANI inputs)