Police summons suspended IAS officers accused of voter data theft by pvt firm
Bengaluru, Dec 7: Two Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officers, suspended in connection with the alleged voter data theft by a private firm, have been summoned, a police officer said on Wednesday.
According to the officer, K Srinivas and S Rangappa were asked to depose before the investigating officer today.
However, they have sought a week's time to appear for questioning, he added.
Srinivas was the deputy commissioner of Bengaluru Urban District, and Rangappa was the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, who also served as the Additional District Election Officer, when the alleged electoral data theft took place.
They were suspended on November 26 as they were in-charge of those constituencies which allegedly saw large-scale election data fraud.
The Election Commission had ordered reviewing the addition and deletion in the electoral roll in Shivaji Nagar, Chickpet and Mahadevapura Assembly segments.
The investigation would also cover Chilume Educational Cultural and Rural Development Institute (Chilume), which is at the centre of controversy.
"We will probe whether it is a trust or a firm," the police officer said.
The Chilume Trust had allegedly got permission from the BBMP for voter awareness drive free of cost'.
The Congress has charged the Trust with appointing a large number of Block-level Officers (BLOs), which usually should be done by the government, and issuing identity cards to them.
The BLOs then conducted a door-to-door survey of voters using their BLO identity card, the party had alleged.
Congress further said the Trust 'sub-leased' its job to some other agencies as well.
After the matter came to light, the BBMP terminated the permission granted to Chilume Trust. The Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, too, intervened and an FIR was registered in this connection. Based on the FIR, the investigations are underway.
Based on the FIR, police arrested many people including the trust director Krishnappa Ravikumar.
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Eggs safe for consumption, cancer risk claims unfounded: FSSAI
New Delhi (PTI): The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has categorically dismissed recent claims linking eggs to cancer risk, terming them "misleading, scientifically unsupported and capable of creating unnecessary public alarm".
In a statement issued on Saturday, the food safety regulator clarified that eggs available in the country are safe for human consumption and that reports alleging the presence of carcinogenic substances in eggs lack a scientific basis.
The clarification comes in response to media reports and social media posts claiming detection of nitrofuran metabolites (AOZ) -- substances purportedly linked to cancer -- in eggs sold in India.
FSSAI officials emphasised that the use of nitrofurans is strictly prohibited at all stages of poultry and egg production under the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011.
The regulator explained that an Extraneous Maximum Residue Limit (EMRL) of 1.0 µg/kg has been prescribed for nitrofuran metabolites -- but solely for regulatory enforcement purposes. This limit represents the minimum level that can be reliably detected by advanced laboratory methods and does not indicate that the substance is permitted for use.
"Detection of trace residues below the EMRL does not constitute a food safety violation nor does it imply any health risk," an FSSAI official said.
FSSAI said India's regulatory framework is aligned with international practices. The European Union and the United States also prohibit the use of nitrofurans in food-producing animals and employ reference points for action or guideline values only as enforcement tools.
Differences in numerical benchmarks across countries reflect variations in analytical and regulatory approaches, not differences in consumer safety standards, the authority noted.
On public health concerns, FSSAI cited scientific evidence indicating that there is no established causal link between trace-level dietary exposure to nitrofuran metabolites and cancer or other adverse health outcomes in humans.
"No national or international health authority has associated normal egg consumption with increased cancer risk," the regulator reiterated.
Addressing reports related to the testing of a specific egg brand, officials explained that such detections are isolated and batch-specific, often arising from inadvertent contamination or feed-related factors, and are not representative of the overall egg supply chain in the country.
"Generalising isolated laboratory findings to label eggs as unsafe is scientifically incorrect," the statement said.
FSSAI urged consumers to rely on verified scientific evidence and official advisories, reiterating that eggs remain a safe, nutritious, and valuable component of a balanced diet when produced and consumed in compliance with food safety regulations.
