The Supreme Court was apprised that a recount of votes for the recently conducted elections to the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) would be undertaken following allegations of discrepancies in the results declared for the post of President.
The information was presented before a Bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Dipankar Datta by Senior Advocate Vijay Hansaria, a member of the Election Committee constituted under the Court’s direction. Hansaria informed the Court that certain complaints were received, including from candidates Mr. Adish C. Aggarwala and Mr. Pradeep Rai, regarding inconsistencies in the declared vote count for the SCBA President's post.
According to Hansaria, “It was observed that the declared votes for the President’s post were 2651, whereas the number of ballots issued stood at 2588. In light of this, we are proceeding with a recount of the votes today at 11:30 a.m.”
The Bench directed that no final results be declared post-recount until a detailed report is submitted before the Court. Additionally, the Bench instructed that the votes cast for Executive Committee (EC) members also be subjected to recounting, while noting that complaints had specifically been received with respect to the posts of President and Executive Member.
To ensure transparency in the process, the Court was informed that the Registrar General has been requested to act as an observer during the recount. Justice Kant underscored, “Recount the votes for these positions, but do not declare the results until further directions. We wish to examine the fairness of the process post-recount.”
The Court also took exception to a letter allegedly written by Dr. Adish Aggarwala, who appeared virtually, suggesting criminal action against the Election Committee members. Expressing concern, Justice Kant remarked that the Court would not permit any form of intimidation against members of the Election Committee, describing them as the "extended arms" of the judiciary.
Hansaria further noted that the recounting process for the Executive Committee may take an additional 2–3 days due to the unavailability of certain members. In response, the Bench clarified that the recount for the post of President must commence without delay, and if required, the Court may consider appointing alternate members to ensure the process is completed expeditiously.
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