The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to investigate allegations concerning bulk applications seeking deletion of voters’ names from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Uttar Pradesh and submit a compliance report after taking necessary corrective measures.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana asked the petitioners to provide the ECI with a written note detailing the alleged irregularities that remain unresolved.
The Court directed the Commission to examine the factual allegations, take corrective action wherever necessary and report on compliance.
ECI Acknowledges Bulk Applications, Denies Taking Action on Them
During the hearing, Senior Advocate DS Naidu, appearing for the Election Commission, acknowledged that multiple Form 7 applications had been submitted in bulk. However, he maintained that officials had identified the applications as false after verification and had not acted upon them.
The petitioners disputed whether the matter had been adequately addressed, alleging that 32 Form 7 applications in a single constituency were intended to remove voters belonging to a particular community.
Their counsel also pointed to two forms allegedly signed by a Booth Level Officer (BLO) and claimed that the ECI’s affidavit contained material inconsistencies and contradictory facts.
Referring to similar allegations in Telangana and Karnataka, where directions had been issued for registration of FIRs, the counsel argued that the absence of comparable action in Uttar Pradesh had encouraged further attempts to misuse the process.
Naidu responded that the Commission could examine specific allegations upon receiving a formal complaint. He assured the Court that any claims supported by facts could be investigated.
Petitioners Highlight Unresolved UP Complaints
The petitioners’ counsel referred to an earlier direction issued by the Supreme Court on August 5, when the ECI had been asked to respond to an interim application concerning Form 7 submissions before BLOs.
The earlier proceedings involved Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh. According to the petitioners, the concerns relating to Chhattisgarh and Kerala had already been addressed, while the allegations involving Uttar Pradesh remained unresolved.
Taking note of the submissions, the bench directed the petitioners to submit the relevant details to the senior counsel representing the ECI.
The Commission must then verify the factual position, undertake any required corrective steps and place a compliance report before the Court.
Supreme Court Refuses to Extend Kerala SIR Verification Deadline
In a separate development during the hearing, the Supreme Court declined to extend the verification deadline for the SIR exercise in Kerala.
The bench observed that requests concerning corrections and inclusion of eligible voters could still be raised through the continuing process.
CJI Surya Kant asked the petitioners to identify individuals who had not received an adequate opportunity to participate in the verification exercise and bring such cases to the ECI’s attention through representations.
The Court indicated that it would direct the Commission to examine those representations while keeping the matter pending.
