Kolkata: 4,000 EVMs Destroyed in Fire, Sabotage Probe Underway

A significant fire erupted on June 10, 2026, at a multi-storey government building located in the Alipore area of Kolkata, West Bengal, resulting in the destruction of approximately 4,000 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The building notably houses the South 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad office and other vital government departments. West Bengal's Minister of State for Fire and Emergency Services, Kaushik Chowdhury, raised serious concerns regarding the nature of the blaze, publicly stating that it did not appear to be a "normal fire." Minister Chowdhury highlighted the unusual pattern of the fire's spread, noting that it reportedly originated on lower floors (some reports suggest the third or fourth floor) but then affected higher floors, specifically the seventh, eighth, ninth, or tenth floors where the EVMs were stored, while inexplicably skipping some intermediate levels (like the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors in some accounts). This peculiar behaviour led him to flag the possibility of sabotage, calling for a thorough investigation. Following the incident, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered, and the Kolkata Police swiftly constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter. Forensic teams were dispatched to the site to collect samples and gather evidence, although initial examinations were hampered by the residual heat within the gutted building. The investigation aims to ascertain the exact cause of the fire and determine if any foul play was involved. The destroyed EVMs had been utilized in 10 constituencies during the recent West Bengal Assembly elections. These constituencies included politically significant areas such as Kasba, Jadavpur, Behala East, Behala West, Metiaburuz, and Satgachia, primarily falling under the Alipore Sadar sub-division and the Diamond Harbour sub-division of the South 24 Parganas district. While the physical EVMs were destroyed, Election Commission officials confirmed that the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips, which serve as a paper record of each vote, were unharmed as they were stored separately in the treasury, thereby preserving the crucial election data. The incident has ignited significant political controversy, particularly within West Bengal. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) questioned the Election Commission of India and raised concerns about the security and integrity of electoral materials. The fact that the South 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad, housed in the affected building, is controlled by the TMC and that the district is a stronghold of TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, added another layer of political sensitivity to the incident. Opposition parties, including the Congress, also called for transparency and accountability from the Election Commission, demanding clarity on the status of the destroyed machines and the circumstances leading to the fire. The destruction of such a large number of EVMs, especially after recent assembly elections, has renewed discussions about the proper handling, storage, and security protocols for election-related infrastructure in India. Experts and political observers emphasize the importance of a thorough and transparent investigation to maintain public trust in the electoral system. As of the latest reports, the SIT investigation is ongoing, with authorities working to determine the precise cause of the fire and whether sabotage played a role.

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