Staff of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bengaluru’s municipal authority, wrote to chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday looking for that the probe into allegations of voter information theft be handed over to a single company as they had been being harassed by a number of investigating authorities linked to the case.
The case pertains to alleged theft of voter information in Bengaluru since 2013 by discipline officers of NGO Chilume Belief posing as authorities officers. To this point, police have arrested 4 BBMP officers in reference to the case.
A Amruth Raj, president of BBMP Officers and Staff’ Affiliation, advised HT on Monday, “Officers from multiples police stations are calling BBMP officers for investigation. Let one company examine the difficulty. We aren’t saying that we’ll not cooperate. We are going to respect the regulation and abide by it.”
A senior official of the affiliation stated on situation of anonymity that they had been contemplating looking for anticipatory bail for its officers as they had been anticipating extra arrests.
“We’re pondering of looking for anticipatory bail for our officers and a call in regard can be taken quickly,” the official stated.
Amruth Raj additionally stated that whereas the criticism is towards NGO Chilume, the officers of the civic physique are being focused for doing their job on orders of BBMP commissioner Tushar Girinath.
“The criticism is towards NGO Chilume. Based mostly on orders from greater officers, the Systematic Voters Schooling and Elect Participation (SVEEP) for voter consciousness was performed. Why are our (BBMP) officers being mentally harassed if they’re liable for any rip-off?” Amruth Raj stated.
“Some officers have given Sales space Degree Officer (BLO) playing cards for the SVEEP programme. However the NGO has misused it. No matter is required for the investigation, we’ll cooperate. These accountable must be punished,” he added.
BBMP commissioner Girinath was not accessible for remark.
The 4 BBMP officers arrested thus far have been recognized as income officers Chandrashekar Ok (Mahadevapura), Suhail Ahmed (Shivajinagar) and Bheemashankar (Chickpet) and assistant income officer (AR) Mahesh (RR Nagar).
Responding to the affiliation’s doable transfer to hunt anticipatory bail for its officers, deputy commissioner of police (central) Srinivas R Gowda, stated on Monday, “the BBMP commissioner is the complainant right here. So, we’re not accountable. They will go and struggle towards the BBMP commissioner.”
A second BBMP official who didn’t wish to be named stated Girinath had issued a round dated August 20, 2022, authorising NGO Chilume to conduct SVEEP for voter consciousness. “We’ve got labored based mostly on the round. If the NGO has stolen information, it’s at their finish. We’ve got no position on this,” stated the official.
“Based mostly on the letters given by District Election Officer and Chief Commissioner, we’ve given Sales space Degree Coordinator (BLC) playing cards for identification. However they appear to have modified BLC to BLO. How is that this our fault? The officers and Election Fee has itself requested us to present playing cards for identification throughout conferences. Now, they’re attempting to flee,” the official added.
“The officers and Election Fee has itself requested us to present playing cards for identification throughout conferences. Now, they’re attempting to flee,” the official added.
“The information theft will not be from us. It’s from the NGO. They need to be focused. We’ve got not colluded with them…That is positively harassment. We’re working underneath the Election Fee of India and they aren’t safeguarding us…That is the accountability of the Election Commissioner and the BBMP Commissioner. They’re making us the scapegoats,” the official additional stated.
On November 21, the BBMP had suspended the 4 arrested officers and acknowledged that, “In accordance with the Illustration of the Individuals Act, no personal particular person or organisation can challenge id playing cards for election-related actions within the election course of. The electoral registration officers (ERO) had additionally signed on the ID card. That is severe dereliction of obligation.”
One of many orders acknowledged that the Shivajinagar ERO Suhail Ahmed had issued 14 sales space stage coordinator (BLC) playing cards, whereas the Chickpet officer had issued BLC playing cards for endeavor the survey in two wards.
DCP Gowda stated the 4 officers had been arrested since they issued BLO playing cards with out authorisation.
“The upper-ups had given an order that SVEEP exercise must be performed by the NGO. But it surely doesn’t say something about BLO playing cards. So, they’ve overreached their mandate and issued the BLO playing cards. That is what we’ve discovered is the first purpose for all these points. There are 28 Income Officers (ROs). We’ve got taken motion towards 4 of them. However we’ve not discovered something concerning transaction particulars,” Gowda stated.
The BBMP had entrusted Chilume with the duty of conducting house-to-house surveys to create consciousness on revision of the electoral rolls. The agency, nonetheless, allegedly collected private particulars, together with caste, training, mom tongue, Aadhaar and different particulars.