Supreme Court to Hear SIR, Delhi Protest Petitions Today; Voter Rights and Police Action in Focus

October 15, 2026

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear a petition filed by Rahul Gandhi and 12 other opposition leaders challenging decisions related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, along with a separate batch of petitions concerning police action and restrictions imposed during the October 10 protest in Delhi.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant is scheduled to hear the matters, which raise questions about transparency in the Election Commission of India’s decision-making, voter protection and the legality of restrictions imposed during public protests.

Opposition Seeks Transparency in Election Commission’s SIR Decisions

The petition filed by Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders seeks disclosure of records relating to disputed decisions taken by the Election Commission of India (ECI) during the SIR exercise.

The petitioners have asked the court to direct the poll panel to produce complete files, agendas, meeting minutes, official notings and objections recorded by Election Commissioners in connection with the decisions under challenge.

They have also sought access logs of the Election Commission Information Network (ECINET) and the Electoral Roll Officers’ Network (ERONET), along with records relating to the June 24, 2025, decision to initiate the SIR exercise across the country.

The plea specifically questions the decision to modify Form 6, which is used for voter registration. It seeks details of who authorised the changes and the minutes of the meeting at which the decision was taken.

The petitioners have urged the court to examine whether the decisions complied with Article 324 of the Constitution, Section 18 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, and the legal principles laid down by the Supreme Court.

Article 324 gives the Election Commission superintendence, direction and control over the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections. The petitioners have argued that decisions taken without lawful authority should be quashed.

Plea Seeks Stay on SIR, Safeguards for Voters

The opposition leaders have sought an interim order suspending the ongoing SIR exercise across states until the issues raised in the petition are examined and decided by the court.

They have also asked for safeguards to ensure that no voter is removed from the electoral rolls without prior notice and a reasonable opportunity to be heard, as required by law.

The petition further seeks permission for eligible voters in Punjab and other poll-bound states to apply for inclusion in the electoral rolls until the last date prescribed by law.

The petitioners have called for booth-wise lists of voters deleted during the SIR exercise, with reasons for each deletion and a breakdown based on age and gender. They have also sought an effective mechanism to restore the names of eligible voters who may have been wrongly excluded.

Apart from Rahul Gandhi, the petitioners include Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Supriya Sule, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut and Communist Party of India leader D Raja, among others.

The Election Commission of India, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi have been named as respondents.

Supreme Court to Hear Pleas Over October 10 Delhi Protest

The court will also take up a separate set of petitions concerning police action and restrictions imposed during the October 10 protest in Delhi.

The petitions challenge the police action against protesters, the alleged detention of lawyers, the reported house arrest of opposition leaders and restrictions on public movement and communication services.

The matters also raise concerns over the alleged disruption of metro and railway services, road blockades and the suspension of internet services during the protest. Contempt petitions have also been filed against the Union Home Secretary, police officials and the Metro chairperson over alleged violations.

The petitioners have questioned the legality of the measures, arguing that the police action and restrictions affected the rights of protesters and other citizens.

During a hearing on Sunday, the Supreme Court issued a contempt notice to the Centre and sought its response. The related petitions are scheduled to be taken up on Friday, according to the report.

The proceedings bring two sets of issues before the court: the transparency of decisions concerning electoral rolls and the legality of restrictions imposed during public protests. The hearings will address the questions raised in the petitions as the court considers the matters before it.