Employees of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bengaluru’s municipal authority, wrote to chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday seeking that the probe into allegations of voter data theft be handed over to a single agency as they were being harassed by multiple investigating authorities connected to the case.
The case pertains to alleged theft of voter data in Bengaluru since 2013 by field officials of NGO Chilume Trust posing as government officials. So far, police have arrested four BBMP officials in connection with the case.
A Amruth Raj, president of BBMP Officers and Employees’ Association, told HT on Monday, “Officials from multiples police stations are calling BBMP officials for investigation. Let one agency investigate the issue. We are not saying that we will not cooperate. We will respect the law and abide by it.”
A senior official of the association said on condition of anonymity that they were considering seeking anticipatory bail for its officials as they were expecting more arrests.
“We are thinking of seeking anticipatory bail for our officials and a decision in regard will be taken soon,” the official said.
Amruth Raj also said that while the complaint is against NGO Chilume, the officials of the civic body are being targeted for doing their job on orders of BBMP commissioner Tushar Girinath.
“The complaint is against NGO Chilume. Based on orders from higher officials, the Systematic Voters Education and Elect Participation (SVEEP) for voter awareness was conducted. Why are our (BBMP) officials being mentally harassed if they are responsible for any scam?” Amruth Raj said.
“Some officials have given Booth Level Officer (BLO) cards for the SVEEP programme. But the NGO has misused it. Whatever is needed for the investigation, we will cooperate. Those responsible should be punished,” he added.
BBMP commissioner Girinath was not available for comment.
The four BBMP officials arrested so far have been identified as revenue officers Chandrashekar K (Mahadevapura), Suhail Ahmed (Shivajinagar) and Bheemashankar (Chickpet) and assistant revenue officer (AR) Mahesh (RR Nagar).
Responding to the association’s possible move to seek anticipatory bail for its officials, deputy commissioner of police (central) Srinivas R Gowda, said on Monday, “the BBMP commissioner is the complainant here. So, we are not responsible. They can go and fight against the BBMP commissioner.”
A second BBMP official who did not want to be named said Girinath had issued a circular dated August 20, 2022, authorising NGO Chilume to conduct SVEEP for voter awareness. “We have worked based on the circular. If the NGO has stolen data, it is at their end. We have no role in this,” said the official.
“Based on the letters given by District Election Officer and Chief Commissioner, we have given Booth Level Coordinator (BLC) cards for identification. But they seem to have changed BLC to BLO. How is this our fault? The officers and Election Commission has itself asked us to give cards for identification during meetings. Now, they are trying to escape,” the official added.
“The officers and Election Commission has itself asked us to give cards for identification during meetings. Now, they are trying to escape,” the official added.
“The data theft is not from us. It is from the NGO. They should be targeted. We have not colluded with them…This is definitely harassment. We are working under the Election Commission of India and they are not safeguarding us…This is the responsibility of the Election Commissioner and the BBMP Commissioner. They are making us the scapegoats,” the official further said.
On November 21, the BBMP had suspended the four arrested officers and stated that, “According to the Representation of the People Act, no private person or organisation can issue identity cards for election-related activities in the election process. The electoral registration officers (ERO) had also signed on the ID card. This is serious dereliction of duty.”
One of the orders stated that the Shivajinagar ERO Suhail Ahmed had issued 14 booth level coordinator (BLC) cards, while the Chickpet officer had issued BLC cards for undertaking the survey in two wards.
DCP Gowda said the four officials were arrested since they issued BLO cards without authorisation.
“The higher-ups had given an order that SVEEP activity should be conducted by the NGO. But it doesn’t say anything about BLO cards. So, they have overreached their mandate and issued the BLO cards. This is what we’ve found is the primary reason for all these issues. There are 28 Revenue Officers (ROs). We have taken action against four of them. But we have not found anything regarding transaction details,” Gowda said.
The BBMP had entrusted Chilume with the task of conducting house-to-house surveys to create awareness on revision of the electoral rolls. The firm, however, allegedly collected personal details, including caste, education, mother tongue, Aadhaar and other details.