Around 4000 EVMs gutted as Bengal Govt. the building is on fire; The minister draws attention to the possibility of foul play

A fire broke out on the 3rd and 4th floors of the Zila Parishad office in South 24 Parganas division near Alipore Court in Kolkata on June 10, 2026. | Photo credit: ANI

Around 4,000 electronic voting machines (EVMs) were thrown away after a fire engulfed a government building in Kolkata’s Alipore area on Wednesday (Jun 10, 2026), which houses the South 24 Parganas Zila Parishad office and district units of several other departments, officials said, raising the possibility of sabotage.

Minister of State for Fire and Rescue Services Koushik Chowdhury said, “The incident took place on Wednesday afternoon. It is a nine-storey building in Alipore that houses the South 24 Parganas Zila Parishad, the office of the local District Forest Officer (DFO) and also the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan. All the EVMs were stored in the EVM room.

According to the minister, these EVMs were used in at least 10 constituencies in Kolkata, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas during the recent state assembly elections.

Mr. Chowdhury, who went to visit the site, also flagged the possibility of sabotage. “Prima facie the fire first broke out on the third and fourth floors. It is not yet clear how it got to the eighth and ninth floors, while the fifth, sixth and seventh floors were safe. This is not normal. The fire brigade was also called quite late. The police are investigating the matter. The district magistrate has also been asked to start a probe. They are trying to find out what exactly caused the fire.”

An officer from the Alipore police station also said that an additional district magistrate had lodged an FIR, on the basis of which a four-member special investigation team (SIT) was also formed to probe the matter.

Forensic examination

“A team of forensic experts has also been appointed to examine the site. They have taken samples and sent them to the laboratory. The cause of the fire can be traced once we get the report. They will also confirm whether the fire was accidental or the result of some deliberate act,” said a police officer.

Meanwhile, the incident also sparked political unrest as the Trinamool Congress lashed out at the Election Commission of India for mismanagement.

In a post on X, All India Trinamool Congress wrote, “Mysteriously destroyed by fire. 4,000 control units. 4,000 polling units. 4,000 VVPATs were connected at Kasba, Jadavpur, Behala East, Behala West, Metiaburuz, Satgachia and several assembly sub-groups under Diamonds HarboringCI division. Forever was earlier sought to preserve EVM and CCTV records?

The statement went on to add: “Was it just an accident… or a deliberate attempt to make vital evidence disappear after they tampered with democracy itself?

Published – 12 Jun 2026 22:42 IST