BJP leader booked for violating code

The election officials along with the police late on Monday night conducted raids at the house of Padmanabhanagar BJP leader Venugopal and seized 82 EPIC cards and cash of Rs 1.39 lakh from him.

The officials received a tip-off that Venugopal was indulging in collecting electoral photo identity cards and distributing money in exchange for them. The officials conducted raids at his house in Papaiah Gardens. The officials then lodged a complaint with the Chennammanakere Achukattu police station.

The police suspect that Venugopal had used his associates to collect EPIC from people in his constituency in exchange of money and promised them that he would return them back on the day of voting. The police are investigating the complainant’s claims.

Venugopal has been booked under the Representation of People’s Act and have been served notice to appear before the police for questioning. Meanwhile, addressing a press meet in Bengaluru, Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar said that there was no fake voter ID or voter slip scam in Bangalore Central constituency.

Addressing a press meet, Sanjiv Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer said that the suspect in the case - identified as Ibrahim - was preparing voter slips for those who have shifted from Bangalore Central constituency.

During questioning by the police, Ibrahim admitted that he was preparing the voter slips to help migrated voters to identify or locate their polling station to improve polling percentage, Kumar said. The police have seized computer monitors, 10 CPUs, eight keyboards, 1 scanner, three laptops, 270 hand printers and electoral rolls from the suspect.

Apart from Ibrahim, 13 others were arrested by the police and were released on station bail on Tuesday.