A day after a self-proclaimed cyber expert claimed at a London event organised by the Indian Journalist Association that the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were rigged through electronic voting machines, the Election Commission on Tuesday filed a police complaint against him, prompting the Delhi police to register an FIR.

Syed Shuja's troubles began after he was discredited by an Italian journalist who was present on the dais and ticked off by the Foreign Press Association (FPA). The Electronic Corporation of India Limited too said that he was never on the rolls of the company, nor was he involved in the designing of EVMs during 2009-14 as he had claimed.

The entire episode, however, blew in the face of the Congress since senior party leader Kapil Sibal was present at the programme where Shuja made sensational claims without backing them with any proof. The BJP said Sibal's presence was a clear indication that the Congress had orchestrated the episode.

In its complaint, the EC said, "On 3rd June, 2017, when a few political parties raised some issues regarding the use of EVMs, ECI organised an open challenge for all to come forward, and take an attempt to demonstrate any vulnerability of the EVMs. Nobody turned up for such demonstrations."

Shuja has been booked under section 505 (1)(b) of the Indian Penal Code for trying to cause fear or alarm to the public. The section provides for a maximum jail term of three years.

Earlier, Deborah Bonetti, who was present dais on Monday, posted on Twitter: "The speaker at yesterday's event #IJA did not follow up his claims with any proof. He was not credible and should not have been given a platform."

Hours later, the FPA too rubbished Shuja's claims. "The Foreign Press Association strongly disassociates itself with any claims made by the speaker Syed Shuja during the #IJA event in London yesterday. Not one of the masked speaker's accusations have so far been corroborated," it tweeted.

Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the event was nothing but a "political stunt" at the behest of the Congress designed to "compromise" the "sanctity" of India's electoral process. "The Congress is making a desperate attempt to defame the Indian democracy from a foreign soil. The event was designed to defame Indian democracy, the Election Commission of India, the popular mandate of 2014 and aimed at compromising the sanctity of India's electoral process," said Prasad.

He said that the Indian Journalists Association, the organiser of the event, is headed by Ashis Ray who is a "committed Congressman" and quoted an article written by Roy, headlined 'Rahul Gandhi's unscripted Mann Ki Baat' in London, dated September 1, 2018, published in Congress mouthpiece National Herald.

Former Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla: I didn't see this hackathon in London & didn't want to see it either, as EVM used there wasn't of Election Commission. ECI's EVMs are manufactured in secret conditions, are being used since 2006, & yield different results.

A red-faced Congress sought to distance itself, insisting that 50 per cent VVPATs should be used in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. On his part, Sibal said, "There should be an inquiry in the charges Shuja has made. If the charges are wrong, take action against him. If they are right, then it is a very serious thing."

He said he had received an invite from Ashish Ray. "He sent me a personal e-mail also. I told him that I will be in London for some personal work and he insisted that I should come as they are going to make an important revelation. So I went."