Bareilly: Lost lovers reconnect with families as SIR verification revives old ties

Booth level officers (BLOs) collect enumeration forms from voters during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) on Sunday. Pic/PTI

The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bareilly has unexpectedly reopened old doors and revived long silent relationships. Officials say the verification exercise has prompted many people, especially those estranged after love marriages, to reconnect with their families after years to retrieve voter details from the 2003 rolls.

Snehlata, 40, from Jogi Nawada, had broken ties with her parents 15 years ago after leaving home with her partner Omkar Chaudhary. Her family filed an FIR at the time, but she supported Chaudhary in court and severed all contact with her family. During the current SIR drive, officials asked her to provide her EPIC ID linked to the 2003 voter list.

Unable to recall the details, she finally called her parents after years of silence to get the information. Deputy district election officer and additional district magistrate (finance and revenue) said such cases have become common during the SIR verification phase, particularly among couples who married for love. They added that the process remains smooth since most voter data is available on the Election Commission's website, and applicants with missing details can use the third category in the SIR enumeration form.

Booth level officers across Bareilly district reported several instances of individuals who had left home years ago being compelled to call their families again. One such case involved Sulekha from Bulandshahr, now known as Rihana after embracing Islam following marriage to Nawab Hasan of Faridpur. She contacted her mother after nearly a decade when asked for her father's EPIC ID.

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