BENGALURU: The Halasuru Gate police, probing the voter data theft scam, arrested Lokesh KM, who has been named in the FIRs registered at Halasuru Gate and Kadugodi police stations in connection with the case. The police, who earlier arrested several persons including Ravikumar, the founder of Chilume NGO, on Sunday, said they nabbed Lokesh from Kolar on Tuesday. “His role was to collect voter ID cards. He is being questioned about his role in the case,” they said. Till now, six have been arrested.
The police are also investigating Lokesh’s association with the NGO and Ravikumar. “We are quizzing Lokesh about how many years he has been associated with the NGO and how he became part of it,” the police said, adding that he will be produced before the court on Wednesday and his police custody will be requested.
BBMP officials had filed two cases against Lokesh accusing him of creating fake ID cards as a booth level officer and visiting houses without BBMP officials and collecting information about the voters, despite the BBMP cancelling the agreement with Chilume on November 2.
Meanwhile, the police have continued questioning Ravikumar, while a parallel technical probe is underway about the software and applications used by the NGO in the process of linking Aadhaar with voter ID cards and the alleged misuse and sharing of the data.
Suspended BBMP officials to be grilled
Three BBMP revenue officials, who were suspended in connection with the case and are suspected to be hand in glove with the accused, are likely to be grilled by the police, sources said. The officials, who are also facing a departmental probe, are expected to be summoned by the police for questioning shortly. BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath issued orders on Saturday, suspending Bheemashankar from the Chickpet constituency, Sohail S from the Shivajinagar segment and Chandrashekar from the Mahadevapura constituency, following a report submitted by the Assistant District Election Officer on the alleged irregularity.
“A departmental investigation is on regarding issuing of ID cards to the NGO. If the involvement of other staff is found, the same action (suspension) will be initiated,” said Girinath. Meanwhile, it is said that the Bengaluru DC has also ordered an inquiry against an officer, who served as a tahsildar in 2017, as he allegedly permitted Chilume to work as BLOs.