Delhi SIR case: Supreme Court assures to ‘take care of’ EC move to restore deleted voters as fresh voters

“The EC should either allow them to file Form 8 [for shifted voters] or create a new form for voters deleted in the SIR,” Prashant Bhushan submitted. File photo credit: Special arrangement

The Supreme Court of India agreed to intervene for Delhi’s voters deleted from the electoral roll pursuant to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), and are now effectively being asked by the Election Commission of India to misrepresent themselves as fresh applicants by filling out Form 6 to restore their names on the voter list.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant was informed by advocates Prashant Bhushan and Neha Rathi, appearing for petitioners Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri, that deleted voters seeking re-inclusion in the electoral roll are being compelled by the Election Commission (EC) to file a declaration that they had never voted before or face imprisonment.

Form 6, prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules of 1960, requires every applicant to affirm that they are “applying for inclusion in the electoral roll for the first time”.

“The EC should either allow them to file Form 8 [for shifted voters] or create a new form for voters deleted in the SIR,” Mr. Bhushan submitted.