SIT raids former BJP MLA’s residence, intensifies probe

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has intensified its probe into the alleged vote theft case in the Aland assembly constituency by conducting raids at multiple locations in Kalaburagi, including the residence of former BJP MLA Subhash Guttedar. Acting under the leadership of SIT SP Shubhanvita, officers searched Guttedar’s house in Gubbi Colony and the residence and office of a chartered accountant linked to the case.

These developments come a day after SIT raided the house of a suspect named Akram, where a stash of thousands of voter ID cards, 15 mobile phones, and seven laptops were seized believed to have been used in the voter fraud operation. SIT has begun action in connection with similar cases of electoral fraud in two other Kalaburagi constituencies as well, notably targeting associates linked to former BJP leaders and their business partners.

The investigation follows an FIR filed in 2023 after Congress MLA B.R. Patil alleged systematic deletion and manipulation of voter lists during the assembly elections. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi raised the issue nationally, accusing both the BJP and the Election Commission of enabling voter fraud in the Aland constituency, where over 6,000 fake Form-7 applications were reportedly filed to delete genuine voters. The SIT operation has uncovered crucial documents and digital evidence, indicating the use of a call centre-type set-up during the 2023 polls to process fraudulent applications targeting Congress-leaning voters. As the probe deepens, several individuals have been detained for questioning, and authorities are working to track down further suspects, including one believed to be operating from Dubai.

The Election Commission has denied the allegations, stating that no vote can be deleted online by the public and maintaining that it was the ECI itself that discovered anomalies and initiated the investigation. The SIT continues to scrutinize the scale and network behind the vote theft, as the controversy remains at the forefront of Karnataka’s political landscape.