Fresh FIR filed over alleged fake voter deletion applications in Bengaluru

Bengaluru police have filed a fresh First Information Report (FIR) in connection with alleged irregularities involving voter deletion applications in the Malleswaram constituency. The case was registered on October 5 following a complaint filed by Anoop Iyengar, 47, a Congress party leader who contested the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections from the constituency.

The complaint centres on allegedly fraudulent Form-7 applications—the official documents used to request voter deletion from electoral rolls—that targeted approximately 136 registered voters in Malleswaram. Form-7 submissions are typically filed when voters claim to have relocated, become ineligible, or died.

The new FIR adds to existing concerns about electoral irregularities in the Bengaluru constituency ahead of recent polls. Malleswaram, a prominent assembly segment in the state capital, has seen multiple complaints regarding voter roll management in recent election cycles.

Electoral authorities have been examining the legitimacy of the applications as part of standard verification procedures. The investigation is ongoing as officials work to establish whether the submissions constituted deliberate attempts to suppress voter participation or were administrative errors.

The matter underscores recurring challenges faced by election commissions across India in safeguarding the integrity of electoral rolls and preventing unauthorized voter deletion.