Voters data theft case: Software developer of Digital Sameeksha app, director of Chilume Trust held

Kempegowda, one of the directors of Chilume Trust, was arrested from a friend’s place in Shidlaghatta late on Sunday night.

The police on Sunday detained the main software developer of the Digital Sameeksha app which was recording the voters data, allegedly illegally collected by Chilume Educational Cultural and Rural Development Trust by impersonating the city’s civic body.

The police are also analyzing the app used to collect the voters data to ascertain what data was collected and whom it was meant for. The software developer is being questioned to ascertain the purpose of the app and its applications, Srinivas Gowda, DCP, central Division, said.

Earlier the Halasuru Gate police arrested Kempegowda, one of the directors of the Trust. When efforts to track him down through his phone failed, based on the information given by his family members the police chased him down to a friend’s place in Nelamangala. However, he gave them a slip in the nick of time.

Police then went to Dabspet where again he got away and was finally arrested from a friend’s place in Shidlaghatta late night on Sunday. Investigations showed Kempegowda had destroyed his mobile phone in Nelamangala to mislead the police.

Meanwhile, his brother and co-founder of the NGO, Krishnappa Ravikumar, the prime accused in the case is still on the run. Several police teams have been dispatched in different directions to track down the accused. The police have also questioned his family members for several hours to know his whereabouts.

The founder-director of Chilume Trust, Ravikumar is a realtor from Dabspet having links with many politicians through his phone and email. Earlier, the police arrested Dharanesh and Renuka Prasad in connection with the case . They were produced before the court and taken into police custody for further investigation.