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The Supreme Court of India has dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) that raised concerns about the secrecy of votes cast in Indian elections.
The PIL, filed by Agnostos Theos, Managing Director of the Sikh Chamber of Commerce, argued that polling officers could potentially see the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slip generated after a voter casts their ballot.
The petitioner also contended that data was stored in a device that could be accessed to identify voters.
However, a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta dismissed the plea, stating that no such case had been made out.
The court pointed to its recent judgment on EVMs and VVPATs, which it said had addressed most concerns about the integrity of the voting process.
Justice Datta questioned the petitioner's claim that polling officers could identify voter slips, asking, "Where is the question of polling officer being in a position to identify voter slips were of whom?"
Justice Khanna emphasized that "polling officer cannot even know who casts vote for whom," reiterating the court's stance that the secrecy of the ballot is paramount.
The Supreme Court's ruling provides reassurance that the integrity of India's electoral process is maintained and that the secrecy of the vote is protected.
The court's decision is a significant victory for the Election Commission of India, which has consistently maintained that EVMs and VVPATs are secure and reliable voting systems.
The ruling is also a blow to those who have sought to undermine the credibility of India's electoral process.
Source: Supreme Court junks PIL doubting voter secrecy in Indian elections