Rahul Gandhi’s SIR Petition Faces 14 Defects, ₹220 Fee Shortfall; Supreme Court Hearing Unlikely Today

A joint petition filed by Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders against alleged irregularities in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists has run into 14 procedural objections.

According to reports, the Supreme Court Registry identified a ₹220 shortfall in court fees, missing authorisation documents for nine petitioners and an unclear photocopy of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s identity card.

Other objections reportedly include missing or unclear pages, incomplete legal documents, problems with page numbering and formatting, and missing colour copies of certain documents.

These are filing-related defects, not a judgment on the merits of the allegations. The legal team must correct the objections before the petition can move forward through the Court’s process.

Will the Petition Be Heard Today?

The petition was filed on Monday, October 12, after Opposition leaders marched towards the Supreme Court during their “March for Democracy”.

However, reports published on Tuesday say the Registry’s objections have prevented the plea from being cleared for listing. Therefore, a hearing on October 13 is unlikely unless the defects are corrected and the matter is listed in accordance with the Court’s procedure.

The final position depends on the correction of the defects and the Court’s listing process.

What Has the Opposition Asked the Court to Do?

The petition challenges the Election Commission’s handling of electoral-roll revisions and seeks greater transparency in the SIR process.

The Opposition leaders have asked the Court to consider:

An independent audit of voter deletions and changes to electoral rolls.

Safeguards against removing eligible voters without proper notice and an opportunity to respond.

Publication of booth-wise lists of deleted names and the reasons for deletion.

Disclosure of relevant Election Commission records, including documents related to decisions on SIR.

Interim suspension of the SIR process while the concerns are examined.

The petition names Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, among others, as respondents.

The Opposition alleges that the electoral-roll process lacks transparency and could affect eligible voters. The Election Commission’s procedures and the evidence behind these claims remain matters for legal scrutiny; the allegations have not been established merely by filing the petition.

What Happens Next?

The legal team must address the Registry’s objections before the case can proceed towards a hearing. The ₹220 shortfall is only one of the issues; the missing authorisations and document problems also need to be corrected.

The important distinction is that the Registry has not rejected the Opposition’s arguments on their merits. It has identified procedural issues that must be resolved before the Court considers the case.

The larger dispute over voter-list revisions will depend on the legal arguments, supporting evidence and any directions the Supreme Court may issue once the matter is properly listed.