I just followed orders: BBMP official who issued Chilume govt IDs

The government ID cards that Chilume workers used to illegally collect voter data in Mahadevapura were issued by the electoral registration officer of that assembly constituency, investigations show.

Chilume Educational, Cultural and Rural Development Institute, an NGO, was tasked by the BBMP with creating awareness about voter registration and linking Aadhaar with voter ID cards. However, it allegedly collected citizens’ personal data with the intention of selling it to candidates for the 2023 Assembly elections.

Chilume workers were issued Booth Level Officer (BLO) cards by Chandrashekar K, the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) for Mahadevapura. A BLO card is issued only to government staff such as schoolteachers, meter readers and Anganwadi workers.

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Chandrashekar denied any wrongdoing and said he merely followed instructions from higher-ups. “I did nothing wrong. (Chilume) workers were supposed to create voter awareness. The cards were issued because they weren’t being let into apartment complexes,” he told DH.

According to Chandrashekar, since Chilume had offered to do the exercise for free, its activities were not monitored for any potential misuse. “We didn’t suspect anything. All AROs in the city issued the BLO cards,” he added.

He added that Chilume was issued 50 BLO cards in Mahadevapura, of which 30 were returned after he filed an FIR.

Earlier this year, the NGO received approval from the BBMP to do a similar exercise in the remaining 27 Assembly constituencies in Bengaluru. However, the civic body cancelled the permission on November 2, citing illegalities.

BBMP Special Commissioner (Administration) Rangappa S last week filed a police complaint.

Investigations showed Chandrashekar exceeded his mandate by issuing the BLO cards. Following a preliminary report from the deputy commissioner, the BBMP sent Chandrashekar on compulsory leave and is awaiting the final probe to take further action. “The report is expected on Monday. The BBMP chief commissioner will decide the future course of action,” Rangappa told DH.

Chandrashekar, however, denied being sent on leave. “I haven’t received any official communication,” he added.

On Sunday, the BBMP provided the police with the names, addresses and phone numbers of all 28 EROs in Bengaluru and 63 assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs).

In the BBMP limits, a revenue officer works as an ERO for election work while an assistant revenue officer (ARO) works as an assistant electoral registration officer (AERO). An ARO is in charge of three to four wards and heads a revenue subdivision.

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Rangappa said the police had sought all approval documents related to Chilume. “They asked about how the NGO was selected, how ARO and AEROs work and how the election apps work among other things,” he added.

Chilume founder arrested in B’luru

Chilume founder Ravi Kumar, who is the main suspect in the votegate scandal, was arrested in Bengaluru late on Sunday night, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) R Srinivas Gowda told DH.

Earlier in the day, police questioned Sanjeev Shetty, the software developer who created Digital Sameeksha, the controversial portal at the heart of the scandal.

Chilume allegedly fed Aadhaar and voter ID numbers into the app.

Police asked Shetty about who got him to develop the app and why and how much he was paid.

Further, police also questioned Kumar’s wife, Aishwarya, for the second time but let her go later.

Both Shetty and Aishwarya have been issued notices under Section 41A of the CrPC that requires them to appear before a police officer whenever summoned.

Sources in the know said Kumar had fled from the city soon after the police registered an FIR on November 17.

He spent time in various parts of the state before returning to Bengaluru to talk to his lawyer about seeking anticipatory bail.