Thiruvananthapuram, March 18 (UNI) Kerala Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Dr. Rathan U Kelkar has lodged a complaint with the cyber police over the circulation of a fake audio message concerning the training of officials for the upcoming Assembly elections.
The audio message falsely claims that there will be no direct, in-person training for election officials this time and suggests that such a move is part of government cost-cutting measures. The CEO’s office has dismissed these claims as baseless and misleading.
Clarifying the situation, the office stated that election personnel are currently undergoing structured training programmes in multiple phases. These include both online and offline sessions, and only those who complete the required training will be deployed for election duties.
The Election Commission aims to ensure comprehensive preparedness of all officials, following the same systematic training approach as in previous elections, the statement said.
Warning against the spread of misinformation, Dr. Kelkar said that circulating such false content is a punishable offence. He confirmed that a formal complaint has been filed with the cyber police to identify those responsible and to prevent further dissemination of the fake message.
