FIR against ‘EVM hacker’ Syed Shuj after poll panel rejects claims of tampering

The Maharashtra Cyber ​​Police on Sunday filed an FIR against Syed Shuji, a self-proclaimed hacker, following a complaint by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Maharashtra. The case is related to a viral video in which Shuja claimed he could hack Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to manipulate election results.

The video, which is part of a special operation by India Today, shows Shuja talking to undercover reporters posing as a representative of a senior MP from the Maha Vikas Aghadi Alliance (MVA).

In the video clip, Shuja allegedly proposed to manipulate EVM results using technology he claimed to have received from the US Defense Department. He demanded Rs 54 for his services.

After the video went viral, the Maharashtra CEO issued a statement rejecting Shuja’s claims. “Social media users have circulated a video of a person making false, baseless and unsubstantiated claims of hacking and tampering with EVMs in Maharashtra elections by isolating the frequency of EVMs,” the statement said.

The CEO added that EVMs are autonomous machines not connected to any network, making tampering impossible. “EVMs are fully tamper-proof. The Supreme Court has repeatedly trusted EVMs. The Election Commission of India has published a detailed FAQ on its website to clear doubts and myths about EVMs.”

The FIR, registered under provisions of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and IT Act 2000, accuses Shuja of spreading false information and trying to undermine confidence in the election process.

In a similar incident in 2019, Shuja was accused of making false claims about EVM tampering during the Delhi elections. The authorities believe that he is now hiding abroad.