Virajpet constituency EVMs hacked: Congress candidate Arun Machaiah
Assembly Election
Madikeri, June 26: Alleging that the EVMs used in the constituency for Assembly election might have hacked, Congress defeated candidate from Virajpet CS Arun Machaiah that the votes polled in the constituency should be counted again along with the VVPAT.
Before submitting a memorandum to the Central Election Commissioner and State Election Officer through the district Returning Officer demanding recounting of votes here on Tuesday, he told media persons that he would obey the verdict of the people. But the election held through EVMs would not be a transparent one. He was ready to prove the EVMs hacking from technical experts, he said.
The Constituency has 269 polling stations and as per the survey conducted by him and his party workers after the election, he should have won the election by a margin of 9000 votes. But during the counting, his opponent candidate won the election with a huge margin of votes and it created suspicion of hacking. As there is a norm that any objections regarding election should be filed within 45 days, he collected the complete details for one month and complained to the Central Election Commission and State Election Chief Officer, he said.
The developed countries like USA, Italy, Netherland, Germany and others have proved that EVMs are not transparent. Though the EVMs were improvised in view of this opinion, the central government had accepted that the EVM2 used in the previous elections were not reliable. Moreover, the Central Government had assured the Supreme Court of using EVM 3 in next elections. But in Karnataka Assembly elections, the Election Commission had used EVM2 and this led to suspicion, he said.
Though Karnataka had more than 12.50 lakh EVM2, the central government had supplied EVMs used in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat elections to Karnataka. After bringing them to Karnataka, the EVMs were kept in the National Institute of Engineering of Mysuru, which also raised concerns. He is suspected that a professor with the help of a team of engineers ‘manipulated’ the EVMs, he alleged.
Giving an example of luring someone to hack the EVM at a constituency in Mysuru, Arun Machaiah said that such persons might have hacked the EVMs in Kodagu and he has some information that such people were absconding. Now, the Cyber Crime officials have been investigating, he said.
Experts are of the opinion that microchips could be installed in EVM2 and the votes registered in such machines could be transferred to other person remotely. In view of this, the Election Commission should recount the votes recorded in the EVM and registered in the VVPAT. He would also move the High Court demanding action against the culprits for misusing the EVMs. Same complaints would be lodged from Mangaluru, Mysuru and other constituencies, he said.
District Congress spokesperson Tatu Monnappa, Virajpet Block president RK Salam, Napoklu Block president BS Ramanath and Ponnampet Block president Dharmaja Uthappa were present at the press conference.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
IIT Kharagpur to file FIR in student suicide case
Kolkata, May 8 (PTI): In the wake of the unnatural death of a third-year civil engineering student on May 4, the IIT Kharagpur has decided to formally file a First Information Report (FIR) with local police, urging a full investigation into the tragedy.
Acting Director Amit Patra told PTI on Thursday that although police were promptly informed about the discovery of Md Asif Qamar’s body through a written complaint, the process to formally lodge an FIR is now underway and expected to be completed by this evening.
"Needless to say, we always inform police after any such incident, both orally and in writing, as we did in the case of Qamar. We have extended all cooperation to the police," Patra said.
"But IIT Kharagpur is filing a complaint in the form of an FIR over the death of the third-year student, as required under law. We will strictly follow the laid-down procedures to facilitate a police investigation into the boy's death," he added.
The institute’s move comes after the Supreme Court, on May 6, sought to know whether FIRs had been registered in the wake of Qamar’s death, as well as in the case of a NEET aspirant who died by suicide in Kota, Rajasthan.
Although Patra did not directly mention the Supreme Court’s order, the apex court has taken suo motu cognisance of both cases.
It specifically questioned whether IIT Kharagpur had lodged an FIR following Qamar’s death and raised similar concerns regarding the case of the NEET aspirant, who hanged herself in her room in Kota.
Meanwhile, IIT Kharagpur has begun forming a committee to examine the circumstances surrounding recent student suicides and to recommend preventive measures.
The institute has been facing increasing scrutiny after three student suicides were reported on campus since January.
Qamar was found hanging in his room at Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya (MMM) Hall of Residence just two weeks after the death of Aniket Walkar, a fourth-year student of ocean engineering and naval architecture.
On January 12, the body of third-year undergraduate student Shaon Malik was discovered in his hostel room.
Additionally, in June 2024, Devika Pillai, a fourth-year biotechnology and biochemical engineering student, also died by suicide.
