VIJAYAPURA: A controversy has erupted in Vijayapura with eight people reportedly stating that applications had been submitted during the SIR exercise, seeking deletion of their names from the voters’ list on the grounds that they are dead.
Allama Bagwan, a government school teacher was shocked when a booth level officer (BLO) informed her that an application had been submitted, saying she is no more. “The BLO is also a government school teacher. He visited my house and collected details from me. He assured me that my name would not be deleted from the voters’ list. But what surprises me is who produced a death certificate in my name when I am alive,” she said.
Abdul Razak Bagwan, Malanbi Jamadar, Mumtaj Mulla and four others were also shocked when they learnt that documents showing them as dead had been submitted to delete their names from the voters’ list.
The issue came to light after Congress leaders alleged that BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal had submitted fake death certificates of eight people with an intention to get their names deleted from the voters’ list during the SIR exercise.
However, a different picture emerged during a verification of the death certificates by TNIE. All eight certificates were found to be issued by a competent authority though the persons are alive. While the names mentioned in the certificates matched, other particulars such as names of parents or spouses did not.
While Abdul Razak’s and his father’s names matched, his mother’s did not. In Allama’s case, her husband’s name is Husensab, but the death certificate mentioned as her father’s name. Besides, the names of her mother and husband did not match.
Moinuddin Bilagi, Abdul Razak Bagwan’s cousin, said not all details of the eight people matched those mentioned in the death certificates submitted to the BLO.
“While sharing information with the district administration, those who had submitted the documents deliberately highlighted only the matching names and concealed other details. This appears to have been done with the intention of getting the names deleted from the voters’ list,” he alleged.