Three foreigners helped man accused of tampering with EVM

He later used the EVM for demonstrating on TV how the machine can be tampered with.

Investigators have found that two Americans and one Dutch national had helped Prasad,technical coordinator of VeTA (Citizens for Verifiability,Transparency and Accountability in Elections),to show how the machine can be tampered with.

Besides,it is suspected that the EVM might have been smuggled out of India,possibly to an European country,deepening the suspicion that there could be a larger “conspiracy angle” in the whole case,a top official said.

“There seems to be a bigger picture than what it looked like initially. We are conducting a thorough probe to find out who was actually behind it,why it has been done and whether there is a conspiracy to discredit India’s election process,”

the official said.

The Union Home Ministry is constantly monitoring the development and giving regular directions to investigators.

Besides,the investigators are trying to find out whether any domestic or foreign private corporate was indirectly involved in the theft to make a clone as the EVMs are manufactured only by two government undertakings – Bharat Electronics Limited and Electronic Corporation of India.

Both these organisations also export EVMs to a few foreign countries.

Prasad,who is from Hyderabad,was arrested on Saturday for allegedly stealing an EVM from the Mumbai Collector’s office.

Meanwhjile,a Metropolitan court today extended the police remand of Hari Prasad conceding the prosecution’s request for his further custodial interrogation.

While extending Prasad’s police remand till August 28,Metropolitan Magistrate V B Srikhande refused to entertain his bail plea,saying it would be considered only after his police remand gets over and he is sent to judicial custody.

The police sought further custody of Prasad,saying it needed to find out the identity of two other activists from Maharashtra who allegedly helped him.

“This is a very sensitive case with repercussions at the national level and police should be given time and Hari Prasad’s custody for investigation,” Srikhande observed while passing the order.

Claiming innocence,Prasad said he did not steal the EVM. He said it was given to him by two persons who took it back within two days.