Kolkata Police forms SIT to probe fire that destroyed 4,000 EVMs

Kolkata Police has established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate a fire that ravaged a government building in the Alipore area, destroying an estimated 4,000 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The blaze, which occurred on Wednesday, has raised serious questions, particularly from the minister of state for fire and emergency services, Kaushik Chowdhury.

Chowdhury expressed bewilderment over the fire's progression, stating, "Preliminary investigation suggests that the fire started on the third or fourth floor. We wonder how it reached the eighth and ninth floors. The fifth, sixth and seventh floors in between were not damaged." Approximately 4,000 EVMs, including Control Units, Ballot Units, and VVPATs, were stored on the eighth and ninth floors and were destroyed. These machines were reportedly used in about 10 assembly constituencies.

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Preliminary investigation suggests that the fire started on the third or fourth floor. We wonder how it reached the eighth and ninth floors. The fifth, sixth and seventh floors in between were not damaged.

The fire broke out at the administrative building of the South 24 Parganas zilla parishad, a district considered a stronghold of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee. Forensic officials were unable to access the affected floors immediately due to intense heat but have since collected samples. The SIT, formed on Friday, is in its early stages of investigation.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) party has voiced strong suspicions regarding the incident. In a post on X, the party questioned the destruction of the EVMs, asking, "Was this merely an accident…or a calculated attempt to make crucial evidence vanish after tampering with Democracy itself?" The TMC highlighted that judicial intervention had previously been sought to preserve EVMs and CCTV footage, intensifying the questions surrounding the fire's cause and the destruction of the machines.

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MYSTERIOUSLY DESTROYED IN FIRE! 4,000 Control Units. 4,000 Ballot Units. 4,000 VVPATs. Linked to Kasba, Jadavpur, Behala East, Behala West, Metiaburuz, Satgachia and multiple assembly constituencies under Diamond Harbour sub-division. @ECISVEEP cannot keep hiding behind planted narratives forever. Judicial intervention was previously sought to preserve EVMs and CCTV footage. Then how can such incidents happen? Was this merely an accident…or a calculated attempt to make crucial evidence vanish after tampering with Democracy itself?