Photo for representative purpose only

BALLIA: The family of 51-year-old Durgawati Singh of Vivekanand Colony of Ballia , against whose name the photograph of a scantilyclad woman resembling Bollywood actor Sunny Leone had been uploaded in the revised voters’ list recently, has threatened legal action against the officials responsible for the mix-up.

Durgawati literally broke down when TOI contacted her on Saturday. “How could someone play such a nasty game that hurts one’s felings,” said a traumatised Durgawati while speaking over phone from Arunachal Pradesh.

A mother of two adult sons, Durgawati at present is living in Arunachal Pradesh with her husband Atul Kumar Singh, an engineer in PWD. “Not only me, but my entire family is upset after we came to know about the matter in the morning through newspapers and phone calls from well-wishers,” she said and added that whatever has happened is traumatic. “We are exploring the possibility of taking legal action in this regard as it is an attempt to spoil our image and prestige,” said a grim-sounding Atul.

Durgawati’s sister-in-law Manju Singh , who lives at Shiv Vihar Colony in Parikhara locality of Ballia, said, “Atul and Durgawati have been in Arunachal Pradesh since 1987, though they regularly visit Ballia.”

‘Electoral staff’s act utterly irresponsible’

In May this year, she had applied for correction in her name in the voter identity card. Besides Durgawati, her two sons Kunwar Gaurav Singh, an engineer in Chennai, and Kunwar Ankur Singh, who is pursuing CA from Lucknow, had applied for voter identity cards.”

“It has came as a big shock. This is utterly irresponsible act on part of the electoral staff,” said Manju and added that they have a joint family belonging to Dudhaila village in Ballia district .

“Atul’s brother Manoj Kumar Singh is a bank man-Not only Durgawati’s image, but the photographs of her sons were also wrong. There was a deer’s picture in place of Ankur’s photo, and a ager at Meerut, while their late father Raghwendra Pratap Singh was a magistrate in Dhanbad district (Jharkhand),” she said.

photograph of a pigeon against Gaurav’s name in the list.

In place of the photo of former UP minister Narad Rai, the list carried image of an African tusker.

Deputy district election officer and ADM Manoj Kumar Singhal has admitted to the anomalies.

“Manipulation in photographs of eight voters was detected during verification of voters’ list. A preliminary investigation conducted by the city magistrate shows involvement of data operator Vishnudev Verma. We have also intimated the state election commission and requested rectification of the mistake,” the ADM added.

