Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Waikar's kin booked for using phone to unlock EVM

Mangesh Pandilkar, the brother-in-law of newly elected Mumbai North West Lok Sabha MP Ravindra Waikar, faces legal trouble after allegedly using a mobile phone at a vote counting centre on June 4, the day the Lok Sabha Election results were announced. The police lodged a case against Pandilkar for this act, which took place in Goregaon, part of Waikar's constituency.

The incident came to light following a complaint by polling personnel Dinesh Gurav. An independent candidate noticed Pandilkar using a mobile phone despite a strict ban on such devices at the counting centre.

Notably, Pandilkar was booked under Indian Penal Code section 188 for disobeying an official order.

Reports emerged on Sunday suggesting that Pandilkar might have been using his phone to unlock the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).

According to Mid-Day report, the mobile phone was possibly used to generate an OTP required for unlocking the EVM at the NESCO Centre during the vote counting.

The Vanrai police have sent the mobile phone to the Forensic Science Laboratory to retrieve data and call records. "We are also checking if the mobile phone was used for any other reason," a police official stated, according to the report.