EVM hacking: Delhi police to take action under IPC section 505

New Delhi, Jan 22: The Election Commission of India has filed a police complaint into US-based Indian "cyber-expert" Syed Shuja's allegations at an event in London that EVMs used in India can be tampered with.

The Delhi Police, after receiving a complaint from the Election Commission of India regarding the press conference in London, will take legal action under section 505 of IPC (whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement, rumour or report). Further investigation shall be conducted as per law.

Electronic Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) in a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) said that Syed Shuja, the self-proclaimed cyber expert who made explosive claims in London over EVMs and election rigging in India was never an employee of the corporation.

"The records of this company have been verified and it is found that Mr Syed Shuja has neither been in the rolls of ECIL as a regular employee nor was he in any way associated in the design and development of EVMs in ECIL produced between 2009 to 2014," ECIL said in the letter.

Shuja, in a press conference held in London on Monday, 21 January had claimed to be a part of ECIL, the corporation that designed the EVMs used in Indian elections. He had also claimed that the EVMs could be hacked and the 2014 general elections in India were rigged.

Meanwhile, the ECI has written to the Delhi Police requesting them to lodge an FIR and investigate the statement made by Shuja.