Supreme Court issues notice to EC, Gyanesh Kumar over voter deletions in SIR exercise
The Supreme Court of India has formally issued notice to the Election Commission of India and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar regarding a joint petition challenging widespread voter list deletions. Hearing the matter on Thursday, October 15, a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi ordered the new petition to be tagged with existing lawsuits questioning the ongoing Special Intensive Revision exercise across several states.
Judges tag petitions and question petitioner conduct
The legal challenge brings together key opposition figures, including Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and ten other party leaders. Separate petitions on similar grounds were also filed by opposition leaders Asaduddin Owaisi and Digvijaya Singh. The petitioners are asking the court to halt the revision exercise immediately and appoint an independent committee, headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, to audit all voter deletions. They also want the election authority to publish booth-wise details of removed electors and produce internal decision records.
While issuing notice to election officials, the bench stated that one petitioner will be required to explain their personal conduct on the next hearing date. Consequently, the court accepted the notice for that specific petitioner on a provisional basis.
Government defends legal response as court manages packed docket
The court spent the session sorting through a massive docket of forty-six connected petitions. Senior advocates representing the petitioners joined Solicitor General Tushar Mehta in outlining various legal challenges. During the proceedings, the Solicitor General addressed a contempt response filed by the government. He explained that the formal apology opening the filing was submitted strictly to comply with legal conventions, rather than serving as an admission of fault on the merits of the case.
The mood in the courtroom grew tense when senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia raised concerns about political demonstrations near the court, alleging that lawyers felt pressured by recent events. The Chief Justice reassured the courtroom, observing that the judiciary is fully aware of outside developments and remains unaffected by fragile attempts to influence its work.
Orders given to safeguard footage amid public demonstrations
Beyond electoral rolls, the hearing covered civil liberty challenges arising from recent political demonstrations in Delhi, where police detained several protesters under newly introduced security laws. Petitioners questioned the closure of designated protest spaces, urging the bench to restore Jantar Mantar as an official site where citizens can make their grievances heard. Government counsel stated that the site's status was modified based on a formal committee report, while the bench indicated it would examine whether proper deliberation took place.
Addressing complaints regarding police conduct during recent arrests, the court noted that the police commissioner has already instructed every police station and headquarters to save all CCTV recordings. Senior lawyers requested a binding judicial direction to ensure these security logs remain preserved as the legal review continues.