Vellore registrar asks petitioner to get voter ID certified by SEC

VELLORE: In a bizarre incident, a registrar in Vellore district asked a petitioner to get certification from the State Election Commission to prove that his voter ID was genuine.

According to sources, N Buddhi Prakash of Chennai’s Karapakkam in a petition to the Vellore Registrar on February 4, 2022, stated that his land, which was registered in his name in Natrampalli sub registrar’s office in April 2007 was usurped by one Kumarasamy.

The petition stated that a piece of land was sold for Rs 75.78 lakh by Mohan, to whom Prakash had given power of attorney, to one GRC Saravanan of Chennai. However, when Prakash checked the land status by obtaining an encumbrance certificate, he was shocked to find EM Kumarasamy of Elarapatti village in Natrampalli taluk had registered a document on July 29, 2021 as if the land had been sold to him by Prakash. Later, Kumarasamy had also transferred the ownership of the land into his wife’s name using fake documents.

Prakash stated in the petition that both the signature on the documents and the voter ID produced as proof of identity in the sale deed entered into by Kumarasamy were not his and also he did not know the witnesses who attested the documents were. Hence, both documents should be annulled and action be taken against the Natrampalli sub registrar, who colluded with the culprits, Prakash demanded.

During enquiry at Vellore office on April 18, registrar Porkodi, after listening to Prakash asked him to get a bona fide certificate from the State Election Commission to prove that his voter ID is genuine. He was asked do the same for his hand writing and thumb impression also despite Prakash putting his signature on a paper to prove that he was bona fide owner.

When contacted, Registration IG MP Sivan Arul said, “Vellore is becoming notorious where both the culprit and original owners were creating trouble at the registrar’s office.” Both sides claim to be affected resulting in extreme stress on the district official. “However, I will look into the issue” he said.