Ex-BJP MLA Subhash Guttedar, son move court seeking anticipatory bail in Aland voter fraud case

Bengaluru, Oct 29 (PTI) Former BJP MLA Subhash Guttedar and his son Harsha Guttedar on Wednesday moved the Special Court for People’s Representatives here seeking anticipatory bail in connection with the alleged voter list deletion case from Aland assembly constituency in Kalaburagi district.

The duo approached the court amid fears of arrest.

The Special Public Prosecutor sought time to file objections, following which the judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat adjourned the hearing to Thursday.

The Special Investigation Team, probing the case, has served notice to the father-son duo and is currently questioning Harsha Guttedar.

After intensified SIT scrutiny, Subhash Guttedar and his son filed for anticipatory bail in the special court.

The case, popularly known as the ‘Vote Chori’ (vote theft) case, pertains to allegations that thousands of names belonging to supporters of rival parties were illegally deleted from the voters’ list ahead of the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections.

The deletions allegedly took place under the guise of a voter verification drive. Complaints were filed claiming that the exercise was "politically motivated" and carried out to influence the outcome of the election in Aland, where Subhash Guttedar contested on a BJP ticket.

The Aland police had registered a case based on a complaint lodged by local Congress leaders, accusing several persons, including the former MLA and his associates, of conspiring to tamper with the electoral rolls. PTI COR GMS GMS ROH