A protest being held at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over issues related to the Special Intensive Revision 2026 exercise on September 26, 2026.
| Photo Credit: ALLEN EGENUSE J.
A total of five FIRs were registered across Karnataka on October 1, 2026, Thursday, over the submission of Form-7 applications in bulk, seeking the deletion of the names of voters predominantly from the minority and Dalit communities during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Three FIRs named BJP members as the accused. While two FIRs were registered in Belagavi and Mysuru districts each, another was registered in Bidar district. A similar complaint was filed in Vijayapura city, but no FIR was registered.
Two in Belagavi
Acting on a complaint by Meerasab Sanadi, a BLA for ward 12, Belagavi North Assembly segment, the Belagavi police registered a FIR against Ravi B. Patil, his employees at his private hospital, and 25 unknown others, for attempting to submit Form-7 applications using fake documents and false information to seek the deletion of the names of 198 minority voters from the electoral rolls. Dr. Patil was a BJP candidate in the 2023 Assembly elections and the Congress’s Asif Sait defeated him.
In another case, the Shahapur police registered a FIR against BJP MLA for Belagavi South Abhay Patil, over a letter by the MLA to the City Corporation Commissioner, in which he identified 2,598 voters from the Belagavi South Assembly constituency as “fake” and requested the removal of their names from the electoral rolls. A complaint stated that false allegations were made by portraying these 2,598 voters as being of Bangladeshi, Pakistani, or Rohingya origin.
FIR in Bhalki
The Bhalki police registered an FIR against 32 persons for filing Form-7 in bulk seeking the deletion of 3,244 names claiming they were “absent/shifted”. A complainant, Mohammed Ateeq Ahmed, said despite voting from the same booth since 2004 and filling the enumeration form during SIR and his name figuring in the draft rolls, the BLO called him and said there was an objection raised through Form-7 that he had shifted.
The complainant said when he checked with the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), he was informed that the 32 persons who had filed the Form-7 applications were served notices to submit supporting documents, but they had not.
The constituency is represented by Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Eshwar Khandre.
Two FIRs in Mysuru
In Mysuru district, two FIRs were registered, including one against a BJP office-bearer.
Syed Hazarath Ulla, a three time Mysuru councillor, said that despite having his vote in a particular booth for 39 years, the BLO informed him that one Harish Kumar C. had filed a Form-7 against him and his family members. He further listed several other objectors, including local BJP minority cell chief Anil Thomas, and alleged that they had filed Form-7s targeting Muslims. The Narasimharaja police registered the FIR. The constituency is represented by senior Congress leader Tanveer Sait.
In another case, acting on a complaint by one Ravishankar S., an FIR was registered against unknown persons for allegedly filing bulk Form-7s targeting 501 voters from the Muslim community.
Published – October 02, 2026 07:00 am IST
