PIL in Supreme Court Seeks SIT Probe Into Rahul Gandhi’s Allegations of Electoral Roll Manipulation in Bengaluru Central

Case Title: Rohit Pandey v. Union of India & Others

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court demanding a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the chairmanship of a former Judge to inquire into allegations of voter list manipulation raised by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

The PIL highlights concerns over alleged large-scale irregularities in the Bengaluru Central constituency during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The petitioner, Advocate Rohit Pandey, submitted that these irregularities not only affect the integrity of elections but also strike at the root of India’s democratic process.

Key Allegations and Findings

According to the petition:

• There were around 40,009 invalid voters and 10,452 duplicate entries in the constituency.

• Some voters appeared to have been registered in different states with multiple EPIC numbers, despite the EPIC being designed as a unique identification.

• Several entries reflected identical house addresses and fathers’ names, raising doubts about authenticity.

• In one instance, nearly 80 voters from a single booth were recorded as residing in a very small house, which the petitioner argued was practically impossible.

• Such discrepancies, the plea stated, create strong suspicions of bogus voting and undermine public faith in electoral rolls.

Constitutional Violations Claimed

The petitioner argued that tampering with voter lists:

• Dilutes the principle of “One Person, One Vote” enshrined in Articles 325 and 326 of the Constitution.

• Violates Article 324, which vests the Election Commission of India (ECI) with the responsibility of ensuring free and fair elections.

• Infringes Articles 14 and 21, guaranteeing equality before law and the right to meaningful democratic participation.

  
  

Reliefs Sought

The PIL seeks:

1. Formation of an SIT headed by a former Judge to investigate the allegations.

2. A direction that no further revision/finalization of electoral rolls take place until an independent audit is completed.

3. The framing of binding guidelines for the ECI to ensure transparency, accountability, and integrity in electoral roll management.

4. Directions to the ECI to publish electoral rolls in accessible, machine-readable formats for effective verification and public scrutiny.

The PIL also referred to Rahul Gandhi’s press conference on August 7, 2025, in which he raised these concerns. The petitioner claimed to have independently verified the allegations and found sufficient material to establish that the issues were not isolated but systemic.