‘Don’t erase data’: Supreme Court to poll body on EVM verification plea | India News – The Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the Election Fee of India’s (ECI) response to the pleas looking for verification of the burnt reminiscence and image loading models in Digital Voting Machines (EVMs) in compliance with its judgement.
A particular bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta requested the poll panel to keep away from erasing or reloading knowledge in the course of the verification course of.
The pleas sought a path to the ECI to test and confirm burnt reminiscence/micro-controllers and the image loading unit (SLU) of the EVMs.
The SC bench requested the poll panel to file its response inside 15 days and clarify the process adopted and posted the matter within the week commencing March 3.
NGO Affiliation for Democratic Reforms (ADR), in a brand new plea, had argued that the Election Fee’s commonplace working process for EVM verification didn’t align with the court docket’s ruling within the EVM-VVPAT case.
In its April 26, 2024, judgment, the highest court docket had dismissed the demand for a return to paper ballots, affirming that EVMs have been safe and had helped remove sales space capturing and fraudulent voting.
Nevertheless, the ruling supplied a possibility for candidates who completed second or third within the elections to request verification of micro-controller chips in 5 per cent of EVMs per meeting constituency.
This verification might be sought by means of a written request and by paying a prescribed payment to the Election Fee of India.
On Tuesday, the bench sought clarification from the Election Fee relating to the erasure and reloading of polling knowledge.
It emphasised that the court docket’s ruling didn’t require such measures however solely known as for verification of EVMs by an engineer from the manufacturing firm.
“What we meant was that, if after the polls any person asks, the engineer ought to come and certify that, in accordance to him, of their presence, there isn’t any tampering in any of the burnt reminiscence or microchips. That is all. Why do you erase the info?” requested the CJI, in accordance to information company PTI.
“We did not need such an in depth course of that you just reload one thing. Don’t erase the info, don’t reload the info – all you want to do is have somebody confirm and look at,” he additional stated.
The high court docket additionally refused to entertain a recent petition from former Haryana minister and 5-time MLA Karan Singh Dalal, expressing displeasure over the concealment of particulars relating to an analogous plea that had been withdrawn earlier.
The court docket additionally directed that, beginning Could 1, 2024, the image loading models be sealed in a container and saved alongside EVMs in a strongroom for at the very least 45 days after the election outcomes have been declared.
The bench additionally raised considerations over the fee of verification set by the EC after being knowledgeable that Rs 40,000 was charged for verifying one EVM.
“Scale back the fee of 40,000 – that is too excessive,” it stated.
Looking for the poll panel’s response, the bench recorded its assurance that no modification or correction of EVM knowledge would happen in the course of the verification course of.
“Mr Singh (ECI counsel) states that they’ll make clear the place by submitting a brief affidavit explaining the process adopted by them. He additionally states they will not be doing any modification/correction of the info,” it stated.