Supreme Court to Review EVM Verification Request in Haryana
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Synopsis
On January 24, the Supreme Court will hear a plea from Congress leaders requesting the verification of EVMs used in Haryana Assembly elections. The case addresses the Election Commission's lack of procedures for examining EVM components, raising significant concerns about electoral integrity in India.
Key Takeaways
- Supreme Court to hear EVM verification plea.
- Congress leaders filed the petition regarding Haryana elections.
- Concerns over Election Commission's verification procedures.
- Previous directives from the court to enhance electoral integrity.
- Significant public implications of the case.
New Delhi, Jan 24 (NationPress) The Supreme Court is set to hear on Friday a petition submitted by Congress leaders that calls for the verification of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) utilized in the Haryana Assembly elections.
According to the causelist available on the apex court's website, a bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan will address the matter on January 24.
Previously, on December 20, a bench led by CJI Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar suggested that the plea requesting the Election Commission of India (ECI) to establish guidelines for the examination and verification of the original burnt memory/microcontroller of the four components of the EVM should be considered by a bench led by Justice Datta in January 2025.
Before this, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P.B. Varale indicated that the new plea should be presented to the same Bench that had issued directives regarding EVMs back in April 2024.
The bench led by Justice Nath stated that the new petition pertains to the interpretation and enforcement of the prior ruling by the apex court, and thus, the registry should forward the documents to the CJI, who is responsible for the roster, to issue appropriate orders on whether the petition should be listed before the previous Bench.
To enhance the credibility of the electoral process in the nation, a bench of Justices Khanna (now CJI) and Datta had directed in April 2024 that a check and verification of the burnt memory/microcontroller in 5 percent of EVMs be conducted for any signs of tampering or alterations upon written requests from candidates who secured the second and third highest votes in an election.
This verification process was mandated to be carried out by a team of engineers from the manufacturers of the EVMs, with candidates and their representatives being allowed to be present during this process.
The latest petition, initiated by Karan Singh Dalal, a former five-time Congress MLA, argues that the ECI has failed to provide any procedure for the examination and verification of the original burnt memory/microcontroller of the four components of the EVM (Control Unit, Ballot Unit, VVPAT, and Symbol Loading Unit) as per the Supreme Court's ruling.
The petition seeks directives for the poll body to establish a memorandum for the examination and verification of the original burnt memory/microcontroller of the EVM's four components. It additionally requests that this process be completed within eight weeks and be applicable to the EVM checking and verification forms submitted to the ECI on October 14, 2024. Filed through advocate Neha Rathi, the petition emphasizes that the issues at hand require decisive judgment from the apex court due to their significant public importance and implications nationwide.
"This matter impacts the functioning of democracy in our country and elections taking place across various states, necessitating urgent and definitive resolution," it noted. The lack of any verification procedure for burnt memory suggests a reluctance on the part of the ECI to allow scrutiny of the original burnt memory microcontroller, the petition asserted.
