Recently in Maharashtra, a viral video sparked major allegations from several people. In this video, a hacker is seen claiming that he can hack Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and manipulate results in favor of certain political parties. This video was shared by numerous individuals and some political leaders.
The video is part of an 'India Today Special Investigation Story' where India Today's reporters conducted an undercover sting operation on behalf of a senior member of parliament. In this story, American hacker Syed Shuja alleged that he could hack EVMs using techniques from the U.S. Department of Defense and demanded INR 540 million for it.
Maharashtra's Chief Election Office Denies Claims
Taking this matter seriously, Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer released a statement. In a social media post, the commission described these claims as completely baseless, false, and unverified. The Mumbai Cyber Police have filed an FIR against the individual shown in the video.
EVMs Are Tamper-Proof and Cannot Be Connected to a Network!
The FIR was filed under Sections 318/4 of the Indian Justice Code 2023 and Sections 43(c) and 66(d) of the Information Technology Act 2000. The Election Commission insists that EVMs are entirely tamper-proof and can't be connected to any network. The Supreme Court has also expressed confidence in EVMs multiple times.
Another FIR Filed Against the Individual in 2019
To dispel any doubts or myths about EVMs, the Indian Election Commission has published detailed FAQs on its website. In a similar incident involving false claims, an FIR was filed in Delhi in 2019 under the commission's directives against the same individual, who is reportedly hiding in another country.
In 2019, the Election Commission, aiming to eliminate doubts about EVMs, filed an FIR against the person hiding in another country under its directions.
Mumbai Cyber Police registered an FIR based on claims in a viral video regarding EVM hacking.
