Follow TNM’s WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
The Supreme Court, on Monday, October 13, refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into allegations raised by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi regarding large-scale manipulation of voter lists in Bengaluru Central constituency during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
A Bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi observed that the matter should be pursued before the Election Commission of India (ECI), not the Court. “We are not inclined to entertain the petition, which is purportedly filed in public interest. The petitioner may pursue before the ECI, if so advised,” the bench stated in its order, according to Live Law.
The petition, filed by advocate Rohit Pandey, alleged serious irregularities in the electoral rolls, citing Rahul Gandhi’s August 7 press conference where he raised the issue of voter list discrepancies in Mahadevapura Assembly constituency under Bengaluru Central. According to copy 1, the petitioner claimed to have found “40,009 invalid voters and 10,452 duplicate entries” in the constituency, along with several instances of voters registered at identical addresses or with duplicate EPIC numbers across different states.
At the hearing, the bench told the petitioner to “pursue your remedy wherever you want,” as reported by Bar and Bench. When the petitioner’s counsel said that a representation had already been made before the ECI but no action had been taken, the bench nonetheless declined to issue directions or fix a time frame for the Commission to decide.
“The writ petition purportedly filed in public interest shall not be entertained. The petitioner is at liberty to pursue alternate remedies as available,” the bench remarked.
The plea further sought directions to the ECI to frame binding guidelines ensuring transparency and accountability in maintaining electoral rolls, and to publish rolls in machine-readable formats to allow public verification. It also requested that no further revision or finalisation of rolls take place until a complete audit was conducted.
Citing Rahul Gandhi’s allegations, the petitioner claimed that large-scale voter roll tampering “strikes at the very root of the constitutional guarantee enshrined under Article 326 (universal adult suffrage),” besides violating Articles 14 and 21 guaranteeing equality and the right to participate in democratic governance.
The plea pointed to similar patterns of alleged irregularities in Maharashtra and other states, asserting that the manipulations compromised the principle of “one person, one vote.”
Rejecting the plea, the Supreme Court reiterated that such grievances fall within the jurisdiction of the Election Commission, which is constitutionally empowered under Article 324 to supervise elections and ensure free and fair processes.