A total of 343 voter identity cards were discovered abandoned on the banks of the Narmada River in Mandleshwar town, Khargone district, Madhya Pradesh. The discovery was made during a local riverbank cleanliness drive, prompting political friction and demands for an official investigation.
1. Discovery & Key Findings
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Location: Mandleshwar Ghat along the Narmada River in Khargone district.
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Origin of Cards: Preliminary reports indicate that the recovered voter ID cards belong to voters registered in the Rau assembly constituency in neighboring Indore district.
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How They Were Found: Local residents participating in a river cleaning drive collected the floating/discarded cards and alerted local authorities. Footage of the recovered cards quickly circulated across social media platforms.
2. Political Reaction & Demands
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Congress Complaint: District Congress President Ravi Naik and party representatives submitted a formal complaint at the Mandleshwar police station, demanding the registration of an FIR and an independent inquiry.
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Demands for Search Operation: The Congress party urged administration officials to deploy divers to search the river bed for additional submerged voter cards. Party leaders warned of staging a protest (gherao) outside the police station if an FIR is not filed.
3. Official Response & Investigation Status
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Seizure of Cards: A local revenue team seized the recovered voter ID cards shortly after being notified by residents.
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Police Directive: Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Shweta Shukla confirmed receipt of the Congress party’s complaint and stated that the Mandleshwar police station in-charge has been instructed to investigate how the cards ended up along the riverbank.
