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Blindly distrusting any aspect of the system can breed unwarranted scepticism : SC

Rejected all the petitions demanding 100% testing of EV machines

New Delhi – A two-judge Supreme Court bench rejected petitions seeking 100% verification of votes cast on EVMs using the VVPAT, or Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail. The Court had reserved the decision. While giving the decision during the hearing on 26thApril, Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said that ‘Voting will be done using the EVM. We have discussed, elaborately, all protocols and technical aspects and we reject all pleas. Blindly distrusting a system can lead to unwarranted suspicions.’ They also rejected a plea to return to paper ballots. A commission will be formed to examine if a machine system can be devised for counting paper ballots. Presently VVPAT system is being used and 5 EVMs in every constituency are being examined. In this way it can be confirmed if the machines have been mishandled. The petition had demanded to examine all 100% machines. Which was refuted.

Justice Sanjeev Khanna said in the verdict,

1. Post voting, the EVMs should be sealed. They should also be kept in the storerooms for at least 45 days after the election results are declared.

2. If a candidate doubts the election results, then he has a right to ask for a complete examination of the machines within 7 days post the result of the election.

3. Trained engineers should do these examinations. The concerned candidate will have to pay the charges of this. If the examination shows that there has been mishandling of the machines, then the amount paid by the candidate to cover the expenditure of the examination will be refunded.

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