Police file case over EVM photo

Acting swiftly on a report by The Free Press Journal (FPJ), Pimpri-Chinchwad police have registered a case against Nilesh Chandrakant Doke, husband of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate and former mayor Aparna Doke, for allegedly violating election rules by photographing an electronic voting machine (EVM) inside a polling booth.

- Varad Bhatkhande

Nilesh Doke, a former BJP corporator, allegedly clicked the photograph and posted it on social media during the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections 2026.

The case was registered at Chinchwad police station under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 223, pertaining to disobedience of an order duly promulgated by a public servant, for breach of ballot secrecy, along with relevant sections of the Maharashtra Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and Industrial Townships Act, 1965.

The action was initiated within hours of the issue being flagged, underscoring the authorities’ stance on strict enforcement of election norms.