'Don't Erase Data': Supreme Court Demands Poll Body's Response On EVM Verification Plea

On Tuesday, February 11, the Supreme Court instructed the Election Commission of India (EC) to respond within 15 days to a petition seeking the inclusion of burnt memory checks and EVM verification in its Standard Operating Procedures.

According to a report by India Today, the court instructed EC to refrain from 'erasing or reloading the data' until an examination is conducted.

The petition, filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), was heard by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta on Wednesday, February 5.

As per the India Today report, Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the ADR, argued that the Election Commission should adopt procedures in line with the SC's judgment, ensuring consistency with their standard operating protocol. He emphasized the need for an examination of both the software and hardware of EVMs to check for any potential manipulation.

Chief Justice Khanna inquired whether the paper trail would remain after the votes were counted or if it would be removed. In response, Bhushan clarified that the EVMs and paper trail must be preserved as required.

After hearing both sides, the court clarified its earlier order, stating it aimed to prevent disturbances before counting while addressing any potential doubts about tampering. The court further emphasized the need for an engineering assessment to determine if any tampering had occurred. It then directed the EC to respond to the petition within 15 days.