“Mysterious man” on Burdwan counting centre roof sparks row; parties question EVM security

Fresh tension has emerged at a counting centre in the Golapbag (North) area of Purba Bardhaman after a “mysterious” individual was spotted on the rooftop of the University Institute of Technology, Burdwan University. The facility is currently being used as a strong room where EVMs from five Assembly constituencies—Jamalpur, Galsi, Bhatar, Bardhaman South, and Bardhaman North—are stored under tight security ahead of vote counting.

The controversy began after a video surfaced on social media, showing a man climbing down from the fifth-floor roof to a lower level and then returning to the rooftop. The authenticity of the video has not been verified, but it triggered immediate political reactions, with both the All India Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party raising concerns over the safety of the EVM strong room. Candidates from both parties, along with officials from the Election Commission of India, reached the site following the incident, and instructions were reportedly issued to install additional CCTV cameras.

Allegations soon escalated, with TMC’s student wing leader Saraj Ghosh claiming that suspicious activities were taking place inside the premises. BJP representatives alleged that unusual noises were being heard from the upper floors at night, while additional concerns were raised about CCTV functioning. TMC further claimed that the CCTV footage in areas storing EVMs from three constituencies was running approximately two minutes ahead of actual time, raising questions about accurate monitoring during critical periods.

Subsequently, officials clarified that the individual seen in the video was a staff member responsible for CCTV operations, who had climbed down to fix a technical fault before returning to the roof. Despite this explanation, the incident has intensified scrutiny over security arrangements at the counting centre, prompting authorities to further tighten surveillance and monitoring systems in the lead-up to counting day.