The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission of India to investigate the large-scale submission of fraudulent Form-7 applications during the Special Intensive Revision in Uttar Pradesh and take necessary corrective steps. Form-7 is the official mechanism used to seek the deletion of a name from an electoral roll, and allegations have surfaced that valid voters were targeted for removal through bogus requests. During proceedings before a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana, counsel appearing for the poll panel conceded that a large volume of fake forms had indeed been filed. However, the Commission maintained that field officers scrutinised the submissions twice and ensured that no genuine voter was struck off the register based on fraudulent entries.
Petitioners Allege Targeted Deletions in Uttar Pradesh
The matter reached the top court through petitions filed by Congress MP Tanuj Punia and others, who contested the Election Commission’s earlier stand that no fraudulent Form-7 submissions had been received. Counsel for the petitioners informed the bench that in a single constituency in Uttar Pradesh, thirty-two bogus Form-7 applications had been submitted seeking the removal of voters belonging to a specific community. They pointed out that two of these applications even carried the signatures of Booth Level Officers. Arguing that the failure to take timely corrective measures had emboldened local functionaries, the petitioners demanded a judicial inquiry into the matter. In response, the court instructed the petitioners to submit a comprehensive note outlining all unresolved irregularities directly to the Election Commission so that remedial action could be initiated.
Similar Controversies Surface in Southern States
The controversy over suspicious Form-7 filings is not confined to northern India, with multiple police cases already registered in Karnataka and Telangana. In Karnataka, an intense row erupted after complaints alleged concerted attempts to eliminate voters belonging to minority communities from the rolls, prompting law enforcement to register several first information reports. A comparable situation arose in Telangana, where the Chief Electoral Officer had previously directed authorities to lodge an FIR following the detection of an unusually high volume of Form-7 submissions. These instances have brought increased scrutiny to the safeguards governing voter deletion procedures across different state jurisdictions.
Top Court Refuses Extension for Kerala Revision
Alongside the Uttar Pradesh matter, the apex court also addressed the ongoing verification schedule under the Special Intensive Revision in Kerala. The bench declined requests to extend the deadline for verification in the state. It clarified that the refusal would not prejudice the public interest, as statutory procedures for making corrections and adding eligible citizens to the electoral roll can continue uninterrupted.
