LS polls: EC keeping a hawk’s eye on suspicious bank transactions and digital payments 

To prevent any illicit attempts to influence voters through inducements in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission is rigorously monitoring suspicious bank transactions and digital payments. 

To prevent any illicit attempts to influence voters through inducements in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission is rigorously monitoring suspicious bank transactions and digital payments. 

Repeated payments of similar amounts from digital payment wallets to multiple recipients will be analysed on a daily basis at the district level. The Election Commission has deployed comprehensive measures to meticulously monitor all digital payment platforms, employing advanced technological tools and expertise to detect and deter any potential instances of voter inducement. 

Asserting that the Election Commission is determined to ensure the integrity of the electoral process, Manoj Kumar Meena, Chief Electoral Officer for Karnataka, told The Hindu that all banks in the State have been asked to share details of bulk and suspicious transactions on a daily basis to the Deputy Commissioners in the districts. “Any financial transaction will ultimately be through the banks, irrespective of the payment mode. If any pattern is observed, they will be marked as suspicious and come under scrutiny,” he said.

He said the Election Commission of India has instructed banks through the Union Finance Ministry’s Department of Financial Services to prevent misuse of electronic modes of payments under the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which includes UPI.

Following this, the Department of Financial Services had written to the State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) of Karnataka to sensitise its member banks to report high value and suspicious transactions to the authorities.

“The banks will keep a watch on the accounts from where repeated payments of similar amounts are being made to multiple recipients. If people try new ways of transferring money, we will also come out with innovative mechanisms to curb such inducements. Systems have all been put in place,” he said.

He added that personnel from the State Account Service have been appointed in each district to analyse suspicious transactions. “If they notice any such transaction, systems have been put in place to generate feeds and inform the enforcement agency for further action. Besides, any transaction of more than ₹10 lakh in banks is being scrutinised,” he said.