Voter ID cards recovered from Narmada riverbank in Madhya Pradesh as authorities launch probe
Khargone district administration and police secure 343 voter identity cards found during a river cleanup drive and initiate a formal inquiry.
Revenue and police authorities in Madhya Pradesh have seized 343 voter identity cards discovered along the banks of the Narmada River at Mandleshwar in Khargone district, launching an official inquiry to establish how the documents came to be discarded.
The documents were spotted on Sunday morning by volunteers from the Niswarth Seva Samiti during a routine cleanliness drive along the river ghats. Local administration acted swiftly upon being alerted, with Maheshwar Sub-Divisional Magistrate Purva Mandloi sending a revenue team directly to the spot to secure the site.
Officials prepared a formal recovery document on site before seizing the cards. Mandleshwar Sub-Divisional Officer of Police Shweta Shukla confirmed that revenue officers took charge of the physical recovery and that police station in-charge Pankaj Tiwari was assigned to conduct a thorough investigation.
Details of recovered documents
Preliminary inspection of the seized cards revealed that they carry addresses belonging to residential areas in neighbouring Indore district, situated roughly 65 to 90 kilometres away from the ghats where they were found.
| Feature | Official details |
|---|---|
| Total cards seized | 343 |
| Location of discovery | Mandleshwar Ghat, Khargone district |
| Locality addresses | Tilak Nagar, Aastha Palace, Shraddha Puri, Akash Nagar |
| Assembly constituency | Rau (Constituency 207, Indore) |
| Discovering body | Niswarth Seva Samiti volunteers |
Official investigation and demands
Police officials noted that the cards list addresses in localities such as Tilak Nagar, Aastha Palace, Shraddha Puri, and Akash Nagar, which fall under Assembly Constituency 207 in Indore.
Following the discovery, representatives from the local Congress party led by Khargone district president Ravi Naik submitted a written complaint at the Mandleshwar police station, demanding the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) and questioning how electoral cards from Indore arrived along the Narmada riverbank.
Police and revenue officials confirmed that administrative procedures are being followed, with investigators verifying the Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers against official electoral records to trace the distribution history of the recovered cards and identify those responsible for disposing of them.
Key numbers
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Number of voter ID cards recovered | 343 | Mandleshwar Police Station In-charge Pankaj Tiwari |
| Location of discovery | Mandleshwar Ghat, Khargone District | Khargone District Administration |
| Distance from Indore to recovery site | 65 to 90 km | Local administrative estimates |
In this story
| Name | Role in the story |
|---|---|
| Mandleshwar | Town in Khargone district where voter ID cards were discovered on Narmada banks |
| Indore | City whose voter addresses are printed on the recovered cards |
