Mysterious Fire Destroys 4,000 EVMs in Kolkata; Sabotage Suspected

A significant incident occurred in Kolkata where a fire ravaged a government building, leading to the destruction of approximately 4,000 electronic voting machines (EVMs). According to reports from West Bengal’s minister Kaushik Chowdhury, the EVMs had been actively used in ten constituencies during this year’s Assembly elections, raising concerns about the implications for future electoral processes.

The fire ignited late Wednesday at a nine-storey facility located in the Alipore area of South Kolkata. This building also served as the office for the South 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad, among other governmental departments. Notably, the zilla parishad is under the purview of the Trinamool Congress, a party led by Abhishek Banerjee, who is regarded as a pivotal figure in West Bengal’s political landscape.

Chowdhury, the state’s minister of fire and emergency services, expressed skepticism regarding the nature of the fire, suggesting that it did not seem to be an ordinary incident. He noted that the fire began on the third floor and inexplicably spread to the seventh and eighth floors while leaving the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors seemingly intact. This unusual pattern has led authorities to consider the possibility of sabotage.

In response to this alarming incident, an FIR has been lodged, and an investigation is underway. Forensic teams have been dispatched to gather evidence, although they encountered challenges due to the ongoing heat from the still-smoldering structure. The situation raises critical questions about the security of election equipment and the potential motives behind such an act.

As West Bengal prepares for its next electoral challenges, the implications of this fire and the fate of the destroyed EVMs could have far-reaching consequences. The investigation is expected to delve deeper into the causes of the fire, while the political ramifications are likely to reverberate through the state’s political corridors, potentially influencing the Trinamool Congress’s standing in the region amidst increasing scrutiny.

Source: scroll.in