Bengaluru: A comprehensive investigation report has revealed that the Chilume Trust stole voter information, collected it for commercial purpose and illegally stored the data on a foreign server.
This information was used to create multiple bank accounts for tax evasion and sold to political parties for money.
The 40-page investigative report said that the BBMP had assigned this organisation for voter awareness programme in the City at Raja Rajeshwari Nagara even when there is no election. A comprehensive report has been uploaded on the website of the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka. This report has been prepared by Alman Aditya Biswas, Regional Commissioner of Bangalore Division after investigating the case of Chilume Trust collecting and misusing voter ID card under BBMP.
It is alleged that NGO Chilume illegally collected voter information through an unofficial private digital app called Digital Samiksha. It was stored on a foreign server and this information was used for malicious purposes and for their own benefit. A separate investigation by the police is required in this regard, the report has stated further. It has also stated that the data obtained by them should be retrieved immediately.
The investigation report said that there was no fraud or illegality in the voter list in Shivajinagara, Chikkapete and Mahadevpura Assembly constituencies. “There is no evidence of data theft or tampering with the Garuda app or ero.net,” it added.
When Samanvaya Trust first filed a complaint against NGO Chilume, BBMP’s Election Department Special Commissioner S. Rangappa delayed taking action. Due to this delay, the process of Chilume proposals and bills speedened up on many occasions since 2019, the report nited.
Erstwhile BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad and Tushar Girinath, who had ordered Chilume Trust to participate in voter awareness activities from November 2018 to August 2022, have been given a clean chit in this case. The report mentions that they issued these ill-intentioned orders due to incompetent review of their subordinates.
The report suggested that the Government should provide clear guidelines and procedures to be followed in the use of NGOs for election related activities. Some NGOs may take other steps under the guise of free service. These are very sensitive, it added.
The report, referred Dr. C. N. Ashwath Narayan Foundation, Malleswara Sports Foundation and DAP Hombale Pvt. Ltd., associates and directors of NGO Chilume to have created various types of company and bank accounts for tax evasion and money laundering.
The report stated that ‘a huge amount has been deposited by Hombale Films to the Digital Survey Account.’