Fire destroys 4,000 EVMs in Kolkata; sabotage angle under investigation

KOLKATA: Questions have been raised over a fire that destroyed around 4,000 voting machines stored in a nine-storey government-owned building in Kolkata. West Bengal Minister Kaushik Chowdhury said police have registered a case and started an investigation into the incident, which occurred in the Alipore area of south Kolkata.

The minister said there were suspicious circumstances surrounding the fire. According to him, the blaze affected only the seventh and eighth floors where the voting machines were stored, while the intermediate floors remained largely unaffected.

"The fire broke out on the second and third floors, but somehow reached the floors where the voting machines were kept. This raises serious questions," he said.

The machines had reportedly been used in 10 Assembly constituencies during the state elections.

"It does not appear to be an ordinary fire accident. We are investigating the possibility of sabotage," the minister added.

The Congress party has also raised concerns and demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.