Siddaramaiah raises doubts about EVMs' credibility
Bengaluru, Oct 22: With exit polls forecasting a facile victory for the BJP in Maharashtra and Haryana and a rout for its rivals, led by the Congress, former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday expressed suspicion about the credibility of the Electronic Voting Machines.
Exit polls varied widely in their projection of seats for the rival alliances, but were in no doubt about an emphatic victory with more than two-thirds seats for the BJP-led NDA in both the states.
Speaking to reporters at Hubballi, the senior congress leader said he had travelled via road from Solapur to Hyderabad when he had gone to Maharashtra for campaigning and the road condition there was "pathetic", despite Nitin Gadkari, who is Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, hailing from the state.
There has no been development there in five years, he alleged.
" ... don't know how people are voting them. I don't know, Siddaramaiah said.
"I don't know why (BJP is winning), they are misusing EVMs-is what I feel...Election Commission of India is under them and functions according to their instructions, like CBI and ED are being misused, he said.
Pitching for the ballot paper process, he claimed several developed countries have gone back to this system.
When people have expressed suspicion, why you (BJP) want EVM? EC has to take a decision when all parties have expressed doubts, he said.
"Results will be out on October 24, we will have to accept public mandate, what kind of verdict they will give I don't know," he added.
Alleging that BJP was misusing the Election Commission, Siddaramaiah pointed out that the EC announced calendar of events for bypolls in Karnataka from December 5, but code of conduct was not put into effect immediately.
What do you call it? What inference one could draw? Election Commission is functioning as per the directions of the central government, he said.
Bypolls to 15 of 17 seats represented by disqualified MLAs, whose resignation and absence from the trust vote led to the fall of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government, will be held on December 5, and code of conduct will come into force from November 11.
The then Speaker had disqualified them as MLAs, which they have challenged in the Supreme Court and the matter is likely to come up before the court on Wednesday.
Siddaramaiah also hit out at the B S Yediyurappa-led BJP government in the state and accused it of failing to provide proper relief to those hit by recent floods in the state.
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Senior citizen duped of Rs 23.5 lakh on threat of digital arrest in Thane district
Thane (PTI): A 68-year-old man was allegedly cheated of Rs 23.5 lakh by cyber fraudsters who threatened him with digital arrest in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Monday.
This is a second such incident reported in the district this week, an official said.
Based on a complaint, the Kalyan police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act, Assistant Inspector Vinod Patil of Mahatma Phule police station said.
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"The complainant alleged that two unidentified persons cheated him of Rs 23.5 lakh by threatening to place him under digital arrest and forced him to transfer money through online transactions between December 8 and 12," Patil said.
'Digital arrest’ is a growing form of cybercrime in which fraudsters pose as law enforcement officials or personnel of government agencies and intimidate victims through audio/video calls. They hold the victims hostage and put pressure on them to pay money.
He said that the accused allegedly contacted the victim on WhatsApp video calls and claimed that his bank transactions were suspicious and linked to alleged irregularities.
"The fraudsters told him that he could be placed under digital arrest, but assured him that they would help him avoid legal action if he cooperated," the officer said.
He said that the accused repeatedly threatened the senior citizen and put pressure on him to make multiple online money transfers amounting to Rs 23.5 lakh.
The fraud came to light after the victim narrated the incident to acquaintances and approached the police on realising he had been duped.
"We are analysing bank transaction details, call records and digital evidence to track down the accused," Patil said.
