FIRs Filed Against BJP Leaders in Karnataka Over Alleged Voter Deletion Efforts

An FIR was registered in Belagavi district on September 30 against Karnataka BJP leader Ravi Patil and others for allegedly attempting to delete the names of 198 minority community voters from the electoral roll. The complaint, filed by Booth Level Agent Meerasab Sanadi, states that Patil and others approached him on September 22, allegedly conspiring to target Muslim voters through fake Form 7 applications during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, including Sanadi's own family.

This incident is among several similar complaints across Karnataka. In Bidar, a case was registered on October 1 against 32 individuals after Mohammed Ateeq Ahmed alleged 3,244 voters, including himself, were falsely marked as "shifted/absent" with forged signatures on Form 7s. Similarly, in Mysuru, an FIR was filed against BJP Minority President Harish Kumar C and others following social worker Syed Hasarath Ulla's complaint of false Form 7 applications targeting him and 28 other Muslim voters.

The Belagavi FIR includes charges under Sections 318(4) for cheating, 336(3) for forgery, and 61(2) for criminal conspiracy, among others, with police stating the accused intended to incite anger and disturb public order. The issue has prompted a sit-in by D Shivakumar and other MLAs outside Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukkumar's office, demanding action against alleged "electoral fraud."

What to watch: The progress of police investigations into these alleged electoral irregularities across Karnataka.

Editor's note: The article effectively synthesizes the information from the source, covering the specific charges and the multi-location scope of the investigation.

This article is AI-generated and fact-gated. Original reporting: India Today