(1) Any polling agent may challenge the identity of a person to be a particular voter by depositing a sum of Rs. l0/- in cash with the Presiding Officer for each such challenge.
(2) On such deposit being made by the polling agent, the Presiding Officer shall,—
(i) warn the person challenged of the penalty for personation;
(ii) read the relevant entry in the list of voters in full and ask the person challenged whether he is the person referred to in that entry;
(iii) enter the name and address of the person challenged in the list of challenged voters in Form ‘Election-11’; and
(iv) require the person challenged to affix his signature in the said list.
(3) The Presiding Officer shall, thereafter, hold a summary inquiry into the allegations and may, for that purpose,—
(i) require the challenger to adduce evidence in proof of the challenge and the person challenged to adduce evidence in proof of his identity;
(ii) put to the person challenged any question necessary for the purpose of establishing his identity and require him to answer them on oath; and
(iii) administer an oath to the person challenged and any other person offering to give evidence.
(4) If, after the enquiry, the Presiding Officer is of the opinion that the challenge has not been established, he shall allow the person challenged to vote, and if he considers that the challenge has been established, he shall debar the person challenged from voting.
(5) If, the Presiding Officer is of the opinion that the challenge is frivolous or has not been made in good faith, he shall direct that the deposit made under sub-rule (1) be forfeited to the Co-operative Societies Election Fund and in the other case, he shall return it to the challenger at the conclusion of the enquiry.