In Amritsar, man held for bid to ‘hack’ EVM

The Punjab police is probing an alleged bid to hack electronic voting machines (EVMs) outside some polling booths in Amritsar during the municipal corporation elections held in the state yesterday.

The police have set up a technical team to conduct the inquiry and the returning officer has recommended a repoll in the four booths concerned.

Police found mobile phones and several laptops from a person rounded up from near the booths. Said Amritsar Police Commissioner R P Mittal: "It's too complicated. It's a state election commission issue. We cannot say at this stage if the hacking was successful or not."

The EVMs used in these elections are the ones used during parliamentary and assembly polls. Some Opposition parties have alleged the machines are not foolproof but the EC has several times reiterated that all checks and balances are in place.

Yesterday, the complainant, Raj Kumar Jolly, a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate from ward number 3, told the police that the alleged hacker, operating from a small photo studio, created a wireless network outside the polling station and was monitoring activity in the booths using hidden cameras. He alleged that the hacker was able to infiltrate the system. Mittal along with ACP Harjit Singh rushed to the spot and arrested the alleged hacker. The result of the polling stations have been withheld.

" The police has reported that the technical team is likely to take some time to find out what happened," said Manmohan Singh Kang, the returning officer. "We have received the returning officer's report regarding the alleged hacking. A deciosn is yet to be taken on repolling," said M L Sharma, Secretary to the commission.

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