How the women entered and stayed in India
PATNA : The Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have ordered an inquiry after two Pakistani women were found listed on electoral rolls in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district. Both women were discovered to possess Aadhaar and voter identity cards, raising serious questions about security lapses and document fraud.
According to district records, the women were identified as Imrana Khanam alias Imrana Khatoon, wife of Md Ibtul Hassan, and Firdausia Khanam, wife of Md Tafzil Ahmed. Both women are residents of Bhikhanpur locality under Ishakchak police station limits but originally hail from Rangpur village in Khushab district of Punjab province, Pakistan. Officials confirmed that they had even participated in earlier elections.
How the irregularity surfaced
The irregularity came to light during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. On August 1, when draft rolls were published, officials detected anomalies in the Bhagalpur voter list.
Alarmed by the discovery, the ECI and MHA immediately sought a detailed report from the Bhagalpur District Magistrate (DM), Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), and local election officials. Authorities have since filed Form-7 under ECI rules to delete the names from the rolls.
Bhagalpur DM-cum-district election officer Nawal Kishor Choudhary confirmed the development.
“We have initiated steps against it and Form-7 of the ECI has been filed for deletion of the names of the two Pakistani women. We are making further inquiries on the matter,” he said.
How the women entered and stayed in India
Investigations revealed that both women entered India in 1956 on temporary visas. Records show that Firdausia came on a three-month visa while Imrana arrived on a three-year visa. After their visas expired, both allegedly went underground and overstayed illegally.
During this period, they married local residents in Bhagalpur, settled down, and later obtained Aadhaar and Election Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) — despite being foreign nationals. This allowed them to gain entry into India’s electoral system, violating both visa and citizenship laws.
Officials said the discovery highlights the loopholes exploited by individuals who enter legally but overstay and later manage to secure Indian documents.
Broader security concerns raised
Sources in central agencies have linked this case to a larger national security challenge. Intelligence reports have repeatedly flagged instances of foreign nationals overstaying in India and unlawfully acquiring documents meant for citizens.
“The current drive after SIR 2025 is part of a wider effort to identify and flush out such illegal entrants,” a source explained.
Security experts warn that such cases could compromise the integrity of electoral rolls and pose potential risks in sensitive border states.
The issue also raises questions about document verification processes, with concerns that Aadhaar and voter IDs were issued without proper scrutiny.
Political backdrop in Bhagalpur
The revelation comes at a politically sensitive time, with national leaders actively campaigning in Bihar. On the day the matter came to light, Bhagalpur SSP Hriday Kant was reportedly engaged in security arrangements for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Voter Adhikar Yatra.
While the SSP was unavailable for comment, district authorities assured that a full report would soon be submitted to both the MHA and ECI.
Past warnings and ongoing efforts
This is not the first time such irregularities have been flagged. In recent years, central agencies have warned of overstaying foreign nationals blending into local populations in several states. Many cases involve marriages, forged documents, and collusion with local networks.
The Bhagalpur case could now trigger stricter verification drives across Bihar and other states, especially during electoral roll revisions. Officials stressed that measures will be taken to prevent recurrence and to safeguard the integrity of elections.
Conclusion
The discovery of two Pakistani women on Bihar’s voter rolls has set off alarm bells in both the ECI and the MHA. While their names are being removed, the case underscores long-standing concerns about document fraud, visa overstays, and loopholes in India’s electoral system. With national security at stake, authorities are expected to intensify checks and ensure that such irregularities do not undermine the credibility of the democratic process.