‘ ₹220 shortfall in court fee, missing pages’: Supreme Court registry cites 10 defects in Rahul Gandhi's plea

Supreme Court registry flagged more than 10 defects in Rahul Gandhi's petition challenging alleged voter deletions and irregularities in the electoral-roll revision. The petition seeks an independent audit, safeguards against voter removal without notice, and suspension of the ongoing revision.

The Supreme Court registry on Monday flagged more than 10 defects in the petition filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and others over alleged large-scale voter deletions and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. PTI, citing sources, reported that the registry asked the filing lawyer to submit a clear copy of the ID card of Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, who is one of the co-petitioners in the case.

The registry also flagged certain illegible or missing pages in the petition, sources said. Besides, the registry also pointed out a shortfall of over ₹200 in court fee.

Opposition knocks on SC's doors

Earlier in the day, Gandhi and several other opposition leaders marched to the apex court to file the petition.

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The registry flagged more than 10 defects, including a ₹220 court-fee shortfall, illegible or missing pages, and a request for a clear copy of Mallikarjun Kharge's ID card.

It seeks an independent audit of deletions and modifications during the SIR, led by a retired Supreme Court judge and supported by technical experts. It also asks for the ongoing exercise to be suspended while the case is considered.

They cited alleged large-scale voter deletions and irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls. The petition asks the court to examine the disputed decisions and protect eligible voters from deletion without notice and a reasonable hearing.

It seeks the Election Commission's files, agendas, minutes, notings and objections relating to disputed SIR decisions, as well as ECINET and ERONET access logs. It also asks for the complete file on the June 24, 2025 decision to begin the exercise nationally.

The petition names the Election Commission of India, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, TMC MP Saugata Roy, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party (Pawar) (NCP-SCP) leader Supriya Sule, Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sanjay Raut and some other opposition leaders are also petitioners in the plea.

The petition has made the Election Commission of India (EC), Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and other Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi parties in the case.

What Rahul Gandhi's plea sought

The plea has sought constitution of an independent committee headed by a retired apex court judge and assisted by technical experts and other citizens of eminence, to conduct within a fixed time an independent audit of deletions and modifications made during SIR.

It also sought a direction to ensure that no elector is deleted from the electoral roll without notice and a reasonable opportunity of hearing in accordance with law, and also to ensure that eligible persons in Punjab and other states going to polls are permitted to seek inclusion in the electoral rolls until the last date permitted by law.

"Issue an interim direction suspending the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls across the states of the Union, pending consideration and adjudication of the issues raised in the present petition, in the interests of protecting the rights of eligible electors and preserving the integrity of the electoral process," the plea said.

‘Disputed decisions’ under spotlight

The petition has sought direction to the poll panel to place on record the complete files, agendas, minutes, notings and objections recorded by the Election Commissioners in respect of each of the "disputed decisions" relating to the SIR of electoral rolls, together with the relevant ECINET and ERONET access logs and the complete file recording the decision dated June 24, 2025 to commence the SIR exercise across the country.

It has sought a direction to examine whether the disputed decisions relating to the SIR were taken in compliance with Article 324 of the Constitution, Section 18 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, and the law declared by the apex court.