SIT uncovers Rs 80 per voter name deletion racket in Karnataka’s Aland constituency

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing irregularities in the voter list in Karnataka’s Aland seat has unearthed a racket where payments were allegedly made to data operators. 80 per cent of fake voter deletions were submitted to the Election Commission ahead of the 2023 assembly elections. Investigators found that 6,018 fraudulent applications were filed between December 2022 and February 2023 – which is equal to the total amount paid 4.8 lakh, a report said.

The Aland case was one of the examples cited by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in his “vote theft” allegations. Last week, the SIT raided properties linked to BJP leader Subhash Guttedar, who lost the 2023 elections to Congress’ BR Patil.

According to the Indian Express report, the verification drive by election officials revealed that only 24 of the 6,018 names marked for deletion were actually ineligible, confirming large-scale manipulation.

The report said the operation was allegedly run from a data center in Kalaburagi, managed by Mohammed Ashfaq and MD Akram, with the support of three data entry operators. Ashfaq was interrogated in 2023 and later transferred to Dubai, it was found that he was in touch with Akram and others through internet calls. The report noted that the devices seized during the raid allegedly contained evidence of tampering of voter lists and payment records.

On October 17, the SIT searched the properties of Guttedar, his sons Harshanand and Santosh and their chartered accountant Mallikarjun Mahantagol, seizing several laptops and mobile phones. Investigators are now tracing the source of the money used for this 80-per-deletion payout, the report said.

The investigation also found that 75 mobile numbers – which were registered in the names of unrelated persons, including relatives of activists and policemen – were used to log in to the Election Commission portal to request removal. Neither the individuals whose credentials were misused nor the affected voters were aware of the scheme, the report said.

Guttedar has denied any involvement and alleged that Patil fabricated the allegations to “please Rahul Gandhi” and gain a ministerial berth.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Kheda said, “Under the BJP, the sacred right to vote has been made a commodity – just suspended for a short period of time.” 80 per person. The SIT findings confirm that vote theft was no accident but a well-funded, organized effort to subvert democracy.”