THE SUPREME COURT TODAY refused to entertain a public interest litigation (‘PIL’) seeking setting up of a Special Investigation Team (‘SIT’), headed by a retired judge, to probe into Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of large-scale voter roll manipulation in Karnataka before 2024 Lok Sabha elections to engineer the outcome of the electoral process.
Refusing to entertain the PIL, a Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi observed that the petitioner was free to approach the Election Commission of India (‘ECI’) instead. “We have heard the petitioner’s counsel. We are not inclined to entertain this petition, which is purportedly filed in the public interest. The petitioner may pursue the matter before the ECI, if so advised,” the Bench said.
The petition was filed by advocate and Congress member Rohit Pandey, who relied on statements made by Rahul Gandhi at a press conference on August 7, where the Congress leader alleged widespread tampering of voter lists in Mahadevapura and accused the Election Commission of India (‘ECI’) of colluding with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (‘BJP’) to facilitate large-scale voter fraud during the 2024 Lok Sabha
According to the petition, Gandhi’s remarks pointed to a “systematic dilution of genuine voters” through duplication, fake entries, and the inclusion of names linked to non-existent or commercial addresses. The plea alleged that such manipulations, if true, strike at the core of “one person, one vote” principle enshrined under Articles 325 and 326 of the Constitution.
