Karnataka Makes First Arrest in Rahul Gandhi’s Vote-Deletion Allegations

Bengaluru: In a major development connected to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of large-scale “vote theft,” Karnataka has recorded the first arrest in the case. A man identified as Bapi Adhya, a resident of West Bengal, was taken into custody by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

According to the SIT, Adhya played a key role by bypassing OTP verification systems to facilitate the fraudulent deletion of votes. This marks the most significant step so far in the ongoing probe.

Adhya, who runs a mobile phone repair shop, allegedly assisted in the mass deletion of voter entries in the Aland Assembly constituency of Karnataka. Investigators found that he rerouted bulk OTPs to the data centre allegedly operated by a BJP leader, enabling the manipulation of voter records.

Rahul Gandhi had earlier claimed that large-scale vote deletion took place through a data centre in Kalaburagi. The SIT’s findings indicate that the data centre was indeed contracted by BJP MLA Subhash Guttedar and his son, who held office during the election period in Aland.

Gandhi alleged that more than 6,000 votes were deleted at a rate of ₹80 per voter—a charge that prompted the Karnataka government to set up the SIT to probe the matter. The arrest of Adhya marks the first major breakthrough in the investigation, with more action expected as the probe deepens.