Kalaburagi/Aland/Bengaluru: A day after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) raided the residence of former BJP MLA Subhash Guttedar in connection with the alleged Aland constituency vote theft case, a fresh twist has emerged — large piles of documents were found burnt in a nearby residential layout, triggering suspicions of evidence destruction.
According to sources, the incident occurred in Revana Siddeshwara Colony in Aland, just hours after SIT officials concluded their search operation. Police suspect that the burnt documents may be linked to the raid conducted at Guttedar’s residence. The Aland Police Inspector has visited the site, and forensic experts are examining the remains.
SIT Raids Across Three Locations
On Wednesday, SIT officers led by SP Shubhanvita conducted simultaneous raids at three locations — including Guttedar’s house in Kalaburagi’s Gubbi Colony and the residence of a chartered accountant allegedly linked to BJP leaders. Over 100 police personnel participated in the operation, seizing several files and electronic devices.
The investigation pertains to alleged irregularities in voter list manipulation during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly Elections from the Aland constituency. The case was filed by Congress MLA B.R. Patil, who accused Guttedar of being involved in voter fraud.
Guttedar Denies Allegations
Subhash Guttedar had dismissed the allegations as politically motivated. “There was no vote theft in Aland. Everything is false. B.R. Patil has lied to Rahul Gandhi, and based on that, he issued a misleading statement,” he said, calling the entire controversy “a conspiracy by Congress.”
Congress vs BJP Over Voter Theft Row
The issue gained national traction after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged large-scale voter data theft in multiple states, including Karnataka. Following his remarks, the state government ordered a high-level SIT probe.
With the simultaneous SIT raids and mysterious burning of documents in the same locality, investigators are now probing whether the incident was an attempt to destroy crucial evidence.
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