Vote deletion scam: SIT team inspects houses of BJP leaders in Karnataka's Kalaburagi

Few documents dumped in lake head of team's visit.

Kalaburagi: The Special Investigation Team has conducted verification by visiting the houses and business establishments belonging to the children of the former MLA Subhas Guttedar at various places here on Friday in connection with the case of an attempt to delete the names from voter list in Aland assembly constituency before 2023 elections. Guttedar had contested unsuccessfully against Congress MLA B R Patil in the previous assembly elections.

The team headed by SIT SP Shubhanvita has been camping in the City since last three days and conducted search operation. Sources said that the documents pertaining voter lists were burnt in front of Subhas Guttedar's house when the team visited Aland on Friday. The Congress leader R K Patil alleged that the BJP leaders have dumped few documents including voters' list in nearby Shakapur lake before visit of SIT team to Aland. Due to this, the police officials have inspected the venue by rushing to the spot.

Police personnel deployed outside former MLA and BJP leader Subhas Guttedar's house during inspection from SIT sleuths in Kalaburagi on Friday.

The team has visited the houses of the former Zilla Panchayat Vice-President Harshanand Guttedar in Gubbi Colony and Santosh Guttedar's residence at Vasant Nagar here. It has also conducted inspection at the house of chartered accountant Mallikarjun Mahatagol situated at Khuba plot in Vivekanand Nagar. 

A complaint was lodged with the Chief Electoral Officer in February 2023 in connection with the anonymous applications to delete around 6 thousand names from the voters’ list in the constituency. MLA B R Patil has complained that fake Form-7s were used to delete the names of his supporters from the voter list and a case was registered in this regard at the Aland police station on the direction of the then election officer.

The state government has constituted an SIT to probe allegations.