Supreme Court Rejects SIT Plea On Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Vote Chori’ Claims

The Supreme Court on Monday (13 October) refused to entertain a plea requesting the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of voter list manipulation in the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency during the 2024 elections, reported The Indian Express.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi directed the petitioner, Rohit Pandey, to approach the Election Commission of India (ECI) for resolution.

“We have heard the petitioner’s counsel. We are not inclined to entertain the petition, which is purportedly filed in the public interest. The petitioner may pursue before ECI, if so advised,” the bench stated.

Pandey had sought an independent investigation, claiming that his verification of Gandhi’s charges revealed “sufficient prima facie material to establish” a systemic attempt to “dilute and distort the value of lawful votes, thereby necessitating urgent intervention by this Hon’ble Court in the larger public interest.”

The petitioner urged the court to halt further revision or finalisation of electoral rolls until an independent audit is completed.

In August, Rahul Gandhi accused the poll body and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of committing “a huge criminal fraud” in the Bengaluru Central seat, citing “five different ways” in which votes were allegedly tampered. He presented findings from a Congress investigation in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment, part of the Lok Sabha constituency. The BJP had won the seat by a margin of 32,707 votes.

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