Fresh Twist In Pune Fake Aadhaar-Voter ID Case: Election Official Says Complainant Was Guided; He Denies Ever Meeting Her

The alleged use of a forged Aadhaar card to change a Pune resident's voter ID address has taken a fresh turn after Pune's Deputy District Election Officer claimed the complainant had met her in December 2025 and had been guided on the procedure to pursue the case. However, the complainant has categorically denied ever meeting the official, maintaining that none of his complaints or emails received any response until the matter was reported by the media.

The development comes days after it was reported that 22-year-old Moshi resident Prajwal Gupta's Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) address was allegedly shifted from the Bhosari Assembly constituency to Indapur using a forged Aadhaar card carrying his photograph and name, but a fake Aadhaar number and address.

Conflicting versions over first contact

In an exclusive conversation with The Free Press Journal, Deputy District Election Officer Minal Kalaskar said Gupta had visited her office shortly after discovering the discrepancy.

"Back then in December 2025, we met here in my office. Gupta was here, and we had discussed the issue then only. I had suggested to him that there was a fake Aadhaar card involved, which was the main problem. I informed him that he needed to file a complaint on the UIDAI website so that the process could begin. I had explained the procedure and how the matter could be taken forward. Therefore, saying that we neither responded nor helped him is not correct," Kalaskar said.

Gupta rejects the claim

"I am surprised by what Kalaskar is claiming. I have not met her or even had a chance to speak to her till date. No official from the Election Commission has ever contacted me, acknowledged my complaint or guided me regarding the issue. All my emails and complaints remained unanswered throughout. I only want my grievance to be addressed and the authorities to identify those responsible for using a forged Aadhaar card to deprive me of my right to vote. My intention is not to blame anyone individually. I think Kalaskar may have mistaken me for someone else. But if she is referring specifically to meeting me, that claim is untrue," Gupta told The Free Press Journal.

How the alleged fraud unfolded

According to Gupta, he discovered on December 27, 2025, that his voter ID address had been changed without his knowledge while checking his electoral details ahead of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections. His voter registration had allegedly been shifted from the Bhosari Assembly constituency to Indapur, making him ineligible to vote in his home constituency.

In an email sent on December 28, 2025, to the Deputy District Election Officer, the Election Commission of India, the Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer and UIDAI, Gupta alleged that an unknown person had used a forged Aadhaar card containing his photograph and name to alter his voter details. He sought restoration of his original voter records, an inquiry into officials who accepted the forged document and action against those responsible.

He also stated that the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) informed him that the address change application had been submitted using a mobile number that did not belong to him and shared a copy of the Aadhaar document attached to the application. Gupta alleged that the document carried a fake Aadhaar number and a fabricated address while displaying his name and photograph.

Gupta told The Free Press Journal, "I approached the local police station on December 28, but I was asked to first file a complaint with the Election Commission. I then lodged a cybercrime complaint and continued sending reminders after receiving no acknowledgement from the authorities."

He added that he had initially considered approaching the court but was advised that one isolated case might not be sufficient. "If there are more such people whose votes have been fraudulently shifted, then we can file a Public Interest Litigation," he said.

Questions over the verification process

Kalaskar said the office was initially unable to understand how the voter details could have been changed.

"Technically, the form was submitted online. The applicant's mobile number is linked to the EPIC and Aadhaar records. When they are linked, an OTP is sent to the applicant and no activity can take place without it. So we are not able to understand how this happened," she said.

However, the address change application in Gupta's case was submitted before the Election Commission introduced Aadhaar-based OTP verification for online applications in September 2025 following concerns over the process. Earlier, applicants could submit Form 6 or Form 8 by linking a mobile number with an EPIC number without the system verifying whether the Aadhaar details actually belonged to the applicant. Gupta, however, said he never received any OTP either to access his account or to authorise the Form 8 application.

Kalaskar said, "Generally, field verification is conducted in Form 7 cases or in suspicious matters. BLOs are teachers or employees of government departments, schools and colleges and cannot be expected to be available round the clock. If field verification is required for every application, the Election Commission would have to appoint separate staff. BLOs are already reluctant to take up this additional responsibility."

She added that the mobile number allegedly used with the forged Aadhaar card has been traced to another state. She declined to disclose further details, citing the ongoing investigation. She also declined to comment on whether a vote had been cast in Gupta's name in Indapur during the local body elections, saying the information was confidential.

Police inquiry underway

Senior Police Inspector Ganesh Jamdar told The Free Press Journal, "We received the complaint on Wednesday. A preliminary inquiry is being conducted by Police Inspector (Crime) Bhojraj Misal. No FIR has been registered so far. After the preliminary inquiry, appropriate action will be taken."