Supreme Court Moved Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar Over Deletion of 13 Crore Voters

• by Akanksha Mishra
• 2026-09-25 13:46:00

In a dramatic legal confrontation challenging the institutional functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI), a writ petition has been moved before the Supreme Court of India against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Filed under Article 32 of the Constitution by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi, the plea alleges widespread procedural irregularities and administrative impropriety in executing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Citing investigative findings from The Indian Express, the petition claims that statutory decisions—including critical changes to Form 6 and the management of sensitive electoral roll data—were pushed through unilaterally without obtaining the institutional consent of fellow Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, who reportedly raised objections on at least 14 distinct occasions.

SIT Probe Demanded Over Alleged Purge of 130 Million Voters

The cornerstone of the petition focuses on accountability regarding the alleged wrongful deletion of approximately 130 million (13 crore) registered voters from the national voter lists during the intensive revision exercise. Calling for the formation of an independent Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine the purge, the petitioner argues that decisions taken without the concurrence of the three-member commission violate the collegial framework mandated by constitutional jurisprudence. The plea urges the apex court to declare all unilateral orders and administrative directives issued during the SIR process illegal and void ab initio, asserting that bypassing internal dissent strikes at the core of transparent electoral governance.

Plea Seeks Criminal Prosecution Under Section 32 of Representation of the People Act

Beyond seeking administrative remedies, the petition demands strict criminal prosecution against top poll officials under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which penalizes public officials for breach of official duties in connection with the preparation and revision of electoral rolls. Alongside CEC Gyanesh Kumar, the plea names Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Manish Garg, Director General (Information Technology) Seema Khanna, and other key administrative personnel for their roles in bypassing established protocols. The filing highlights that in May 2026, Election Commissioner Vivek Joshi had formally recorded strong dissent against altering Form 6—which governs fresh voter enrollments—arguing that statutory forms cannot be amended without formal amendments to the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, an objection that was formally backed by Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu. With the top court now petitioned, the brewing internal rift within Nirvachan Sadan has escalated into a major constitutional showdown.

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