A puzzling situation has unfolded in Bihar, where two Pakistani women have been found listed in the Bhagalpur voter rolls. These women are believed to have arrived in India approximately seven decades ago. The matter surfaced during a verification drive initiated by the Ministry of Home Affairs to identify foreign nationals residing in the country beyond the validity of their visas. Voter ID cards were issued to Imrana Khanam, also known as Imrana Khatoon, wife of Ibtul Hasan, and Firdousia Khanam, wife of Md. Tafjeel Ahmed. Even more concerning is that these individuals were verified during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) ahead of the 2025 assembly elections.
The presence of the women’s names in the state’s voter list, coupled with their verification during the SIR process, has led to an investigation. The Booth Level Officer (BLO) in charge of the verification explained that they were notified by the election department. This notification was based on a formal communication received from the Home Ministry on August 11.
Firdousia’s arrival in India was on January 19, 1956, with a three-month visa. Imrana’s visa was for three years. The Bhagalpur district administration has initiated proceedings to address the situation. Notices will be sent to both women, requesting that they provide the necessary documentation to clarify their status. Both women reside in the Bhikanpur Gumti No. 3 Tank Lane area under the Ishakchak police station. In Imrana Khatoon’s case, Farzana Khatoon received the order from the district administration, and the process to remove her name from the list has begun.
Imrana Khatoon said, “I verified them during the SIR. I received a letter from the department with their passport numbers, which I cross-checked. We have been asked to remove their names. One of their names is Imrana Khanam. She was not in a condition to speak, she is old and unwell. As per the orders of the department, I filled out the form and began the process of removing her name. Her passport is from 1956, and she got her visa in 1958. She is from Pakistan. The next step of the investigation will be carried out by the department. I had received a notice from the Home Ministry on 11 August.”
Bihar launched a Special Intensive Revision of the voter list in July ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. During the first phase, enumeration forms were distributed and collected between June 25 and July 25. The Election Commission of India (ECI) reported that out of 7.89 crore registered voters in Bihar as of June 24, forms from 7.24 crore voters were received by July 25.