An investigation is underway in Bihar following the inclusion of two Pakistani women in the Bhagalpur voter list. The women, reportedly in India for approximately 70 years, were identified during a Ministry of Home Affairs verification drive aimed at identifying foreign nationals with expired visas. Voter ID cards were issued to Imrana Khanam, also known as Imrana Khatoon, and Firdousia Khanam. The women’s names were verified during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in preparation for the 2025 assembly elections.
The Booth Level Officer (BLO) responsible for verification confirmed they were notified by the election department, based on a communication from the Home Ministry on August 11.
Firdousia arrived in India on January 19, 1956, on a three-month visa, while Imrana’s visa was valid for three years. The Bhagalpur district administration has initiated proceedings, issuing notices to the women to present their documents. Both women reside in Bhikanpur Gumti No. 3 Tank Lane under the Ishakchak police station.
In Imrana Khatoon’s case, Farzana Khatoon received the order from the district administration. The process to remove her name has commenced. Imrana Khatoon, unable to speak due to age and illness, had her passport and visa details cross-checked as per the department’s instructions, and the process to remove her name from the list was initiated.
Bihar conducted a Special Intensive Revision of its voter list in July ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. Enumeration forms were distributed and collected between June 25 and July 25. The Election Commission of India (ECI) reported receiving forms from 7.24 crore voters out of the 7.89 crore registered voters in Bihar as of June 24.