Supreme Court slams Election Commission over missing Sringeri vote-counting video

Election Commission of India Supreme Court Sringeri constituency vote counting video Karnataka Assembly elections

The Supreme Court of India has reprimanded the Election Commission of India (ECI) after the poll body reported it could not locate the video recording of the 2023 vote counting in the Sringeri Assembly constituency in Karnataka.

The legal dispute involves a challenge to the election results by BJP candidate DN Jeevaraj against Congress leader TD Rajegowda, who originally won the seat by a margin of 201 votes. Following a Karnataka High Court order to recount postal ballots and re-verify 279 rejected votes, the results were revised, declaring Jeevaraj the winner. Rajegowda subsequently moved the Supreme Court to contest the legality of this recount.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva expressed strong displeasure at the ECI's claim that the original counting footage is untraceable, describing the explanation as “lame excuses.” The court emphasized that the ECI, as a constitutional body, is responsible for preserving election records and must ensure transparency. The bench warned that it would draw an adverse inference against the commission if the records are not produced by the next hearing, which is scheduled for February 15, 2027.

Entities

Bombay High Court · DN Jeevaraj · Election Commission of India · High Level Committee on Demographic Change · Ministry of Home Affairs · Narendra Modi · Sringeri · Supreme Court of India · TD Rajegowda

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 8 SOURCES] The Election Commission of India stated it could not trace the video recording of the original 2023 vote counting in Sringeri. www.newindianexpress.com · scroll.in · samacharnama.com · english.mathrubhumi.com · www.nayaindia.com · +3 more
[● 4 SOURCES] The Karnataka High Court previously ordered a recount of postal ballots and re-verification of 279 rejected votes in the Sringeri constituency. english.mathrubhumi.com · www.newsbytesapp.com · scroll.in · www.nayaindia.com
[● 5 SOURCES] The court warned it would draw an adverse inference against the poll panel if records are not produced by the next hearing. english.mathrubhumi.com · www.newsbytesapp.com · www.dnaindia.com · www.timesnownews.com · scroll.in
[○ 1 SOURCE] The next hearing for the matter is scheduled for February 15, 2027. www.newsbytesapp.com
[● 6 SOURCES] The Supreme Court criticized the Election Commission of India for its inability to locate 2023 vote-counting video from Sringeri. english.mathrubhumi.com · www.newsbytesapp.com · www.dnaindia.com · www.newindianexpress.com · scroll.in · +1 more