A peculiar situation has come to light in Bihar, where two Pakistani women were found to be included in the Bhagalpur voter list. The women are believed to have immigrated to India approximately seven decades ago. This discovery was made during a verification exercise conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, designed to identify foreign nationals residing in India past their authorized visa durations. Imrana Khanam (Imrana Khatoon) and Firdousia Khanam, were found to have voter ID cards registered in Tank Lane. Furthermore, their information was vetted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) initiative in preparation for the 2025 assembly elections, resulting in the issuance of voter ID cards.
The women’s names were not only present on the voter list but also passed the verification process during the SIR. The Booth Level Officer (BLO), in charge of the verification process, stated that they were notified by the election department. The notification was based on an official communication from the Home Ministry on August 11.
Firdousia’s arrival in India took place on January 19, 1956, under a three-month visa, while Imrana possessed a three-year visa. The Bhagalpur district administration has initiated legal proceedings. Both women will be served with notices, requiring them to furnish supporting documents. They reside at Bhikanpur Gumti No. 3 Tank Lane, within the Ishakchak police station’s jurisdiction. In the case of Imrana Khatoon, Farzana Khatoon received the order from the district administration, and the process of removing her name from the list has begun.
Imrana Khatoon explained, “I verified them during the SIR. I received a letter from the department with their passport numbers, which I cross-checked. We have been asked to remove their names. One of their names is Imrana Khanam. She was not in a condition to speak, she is old and unwell. As per the orders of the department, I filled out the form and began the process of removing her name. Her passport is from 1956, and she got her visa in 1958. She is from Pakistan. The next step of the investigation will be carried out by the department. I had received a notice from the Home Ministry on 11 August.”
Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision of the voter list was launched in July in advance of the upcoming assembly elections. The first phase involved the distribution and collection of enumeration forms between June 25 and July 25. According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), out of a total of 7.89 crore registered voters in Bihar as of June 24, 7.24 crore voter forms were received by July 25.