The Supreme Court has said that a petition on the policy of verification of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) should be heard by the same bench which had given this verdict in April. The same bench had rejected the demand for holding elections again with ballot papers.

A division bench of Justices Vikram Nath and PB Varale on Friday directed the CJI's registry to list the matter of verification of EVMs during the Haryana assembly elections on the petition of Congress leader Karan Singh Dalal before the same bench. Since the CJI will determine the bench for the decision under rostering.

Microcontroller should be investigated: MLA Karan Singh Dalal

The petition said that the present petition by five-time MLA Karan Singh Dalal has sought directions to the Election Commission to check and verify the memory/microcontroller of four components of EVMs (control unit, ballot unit, VVPAT and symbol loading unit). The petition also requested that this process be completed within eight weeks.

This matter affects the democratic process of the country and the elections to be held in various states, hence it must be resolved immediately and decisively.

What decision did the court give regarding EVM investigation?

In April this year, a division bench of then Supreme Court Justice Sanjeev Khanna (now CJI) and Dipankar Dutta had issued an order aimed at strengthening the credibility of the election process in the country, in which, on the written request of the candidates who came second and third in an election, the memory/microcontroller used in five percent of EVMs was checked and verified. This check will be done by the engineers of the EVM manufacturing companies. During this, the candidates and their representatives will be present.