SC Rejects PIL Seeking 100 Per Cent Verification Of VVPAT Slips With All The EVMs

The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday (21 May) quashed a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Chennai based non-governmental organisation (NGO) “Tech4All” seeking 100 per cent verification of the voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) against the electronic voting machine (EVM) outcomes during the counting on 23 May, reports Times of India.

The vacation bench of Justices Arun Mishra and MR Shah also lambasted the said NGO for making a 'mockery of democracy' by moving the court despite a clear ruling by the apex court directing the counting of VVPAT slips of five EVMs per assembly segment.

The court criticised the NGO for moving a PIL knowing well that a three-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had given a judgment on the very issue on 8 April. The bench also underscored that it was unethical to move such a petition when the polls were already over.

The judgment gains significance in the light of the opposition parties led by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister (CM) repeatedly seeking verification of at least 50 per cent VVPAT slips against the EVMs.