Village head's teenage son casts votes in UP's Farrukhabad, detained; repolling on May 25

Farrukhabad/Lucknow: The 17-year-old son of a village head has been detained for allegedly casting votes multiple times during the fourth phase of polling in Farrukhabad seat on May 13, police said on Monday.

Repolling at the polling booth, where the alleged incident took place, will be held on May 25.

A video of the purported incident, which has gone viral, was shared by Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on social media. It showed the teenager pressing the EVM button seven to eight times in front of the BJP candidate in the constituency, Mukesh Rajput.

The son of Khiriya Pamaran village head Anil Thakur allegedly cast votes about seven to eight times at booth number 343 under the Nayagaon police station limits. The teenager recorded the video of his act and uploaded it on social media. It became viral after the Samajwadi Party chief and Rahul Gandhi shared it on their X handles.

Officials in Lucknow said repolling in polling booth number 343 at Primary school, Khiriya Pamaran in Farrukhabad constituency in Etah district will be held on May 25 between 7 am and 6 pm.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa had earlier said that a recommendation for repolling in the polling station concerned has been sent to the Election Commission of India.

Naval Kishore Shakya, the SP candidate from the Farrukhabad Lok Sabha seat, which went to polls in the fourth phase on May 13, submitted a written complaint, following which a case was registered.

Shakya also posted the video on social media and complained to the District Election Officer.

"The accused teenager has been detained and the matter is being investigated," SHO of Nayagaon police station Ritesh Thakur on Monday told PTI.

Farrukhabad District Magistrate V K Singh said that taking note of the video posted by the SP chief, the assistant returning officer filed a complaint at Nayagaon police station based on which an FIR was registered.

A case has been registered under the Representation of People's Act and IT Act, Singh said.

The accused teenager has been detained and sent to the rehabilitation centre in Etah, the police said.

Meanwhile, CEO Rinwa, in a statement, said, "A video of a person voting multiple times has circulated in social media. Action has already been taken."

He added that instructions have been issued to suspend and institute disciplinary proceedings against all members of the polling party concerned.

The CEO said that strict instructions to rigorously follow the procedure for voter identification have been issued to all District Election Officers for the remaining poll phases in the state.

The Farrukhabad Lok Sabha seat consists of four assembly segments of Kaimganj (SC), Amritpur, Farrukhabad and Bhojpur, which are located in Farrukhabad district. The assembly segment of Aliganj is located in Etah district.