HC grants anticipatory bail to suspended B’luru DC

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has granted anticipatory bail to K Srinivas, who was suspended in connection with the Votegate scam by the Chilume Organisation in the city. Srinivas was the District Deputy Commissioner for Bengaluru Urban and the Additional District Election Officer (ADEO) of Mahadevapura Assembly Constituency.

A single-judge bench headed by Justice S Rachaiah heard the petition filed by Srinivas seeking anticipatory bail and passed this order on Thursday. Counsel for the petitioner said that Srinivas is cooperating with the trial and he (the petitioner) has nothing to do with the case.

There is a possibility of arrest in connection with the case. Therefore, anticipatory bail should be granted, the council said. He also appealed to the bench, saying that this would not hinder a fair investigation of the Chilume case.

A police investigation revealed that identity cards were issued to private individuals showing them as Booth Level Officers (BLO/ BLC) in Shivajinagar, Chikkapet and Mahadevapura assembly constituencies.

The Central Election Commission, which had directed the state government to conduct a comprehensive review of all the processes involved in revising the voter list in these constituencies, had notified the suspension of Srinivas and Rangappa for failing to prevent the lapses in the illegal collection of the voters’ data.