Bengaluru, Karnataka: A 37-year-old government official was allegedly assaulted by a group of youths in Bengaluru’s DJ Halli area. The incident happened when he was on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) duty for the voter list. The incident took place near Kousar Mosque, 18th Cross, Roshan Nagar in DJ Halli, triggering concerns over the safety of officials involved in election-related work.
The victim has been identified as Pakeerappa, a 37-year-old Superintendent with the Karnataka Slum Development Board. He was recently appointed by the Pulakeshinagar Revenue Office as a Supervisory Officer to oversee Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in Ward No. 47 during the ongoing SIR process.
According to the FIR filed at Devarajeevanahalli Police Station, the attack occurred around 1:30 PM on Wednesday. Police said Pakeerappa was inspecting the SIR process when he noticed an argument between a local BLO and two men, later identified as Yarab and Dastagir.The dispute reportedly began after the two men demanded an SIR form/voter form from the BLO. When the BLO told them they were residents of Jayanagar and should collect forms from their respective jurisdiction, the argument escalated.
Pakeerappa intervened to defuse the situation and questioned the two men about the commotion. Police allege that the situation then turned violent, and the official was assaulted by the group of youths. An investigation is currently underway at Devarajeevanahalli Police Station. No arrests have been confirmed yet.
The incident raised questions about the safety of government staff conducting voter list verification across Bengaluru.
