BENGALURU: Senior IAS officer KA Dayananda, Member Secretary, Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes (KSCBC), has written to the High Grounds Police to file a criminal case against those who are circulating on WhatsApp groups fake figures purportedly from the recent concluded socio-educational survey conducted by the commission.
The IAS officer said the survey work is still in progress. In cases numbered 28665/2025, 28668/2025, 28670/2025, and 28675/2025 filed before the High Court of Karnataka, the commission submitted an affidavit on September 26, 2025 that data collected during the survey would be kept confidential and not leaked to any individual.
Though the commission has maintained confidentiality, a WhatsApp message was circulated in a group (in the name of Engineers & Doctors) from the number 8618891657 under the title “2025 Karnataka State Caste Census Report,” containing alleged population figures as follows: Lingayats – 65 lakh, Vokkaligas – 60 lakh, Kurubas – 45 lakh, Edigas – 15 lakh, Scheduled Castes – 40.45 lakh, Vishwakarma – 15 lakh, Bestha – 15 lakh, Brahmins – 14 lakh, Gollas – 10 lakh, Muslims – 60 lakh, Christians – 12 lakh, Savitha Samaja – 5 lakh, Kumbara – 5 lakh, Madiwala - 6 lakh, and others.
When the person named Shiva, who shared this information, was contacted, he said he was from Chikkamagaluru and claimed that he had received the message via WhatsApp from 9972508500, the letter stated. Based on the two mobile numbers, a criminal case be registered against the individuals, an investigation be conducted, the letter stated.