SC Rejects PIL To Audit EVM’s Source Code

The Supreme Court of India on Friday refused to entertain the PIL (Public interest litigation) seeking an audit on the source code of EVM’s (Electronic voting machines).

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, while rejecting the bench questioned the petitioner Sunil Ahya by asking, "What is the material before us to doubt about the Election Commission? How can source code be placed in the public domain? It cannot be made available in the public domain. That will make them more vulnerable."

In response, Sunil Ahya said, "Plea is filed seeking independent audit of the source code of the EVM applying to a particular standard of IEEE1028, and so that the report is placed in the public domain."

Finding little weight in the concerns raised, the bench observed that no actionable material has been placed on record to suggest that the ECI (Election Commission of India) has acted in breach of its constitutional mandate.

The petitioner had earlier moved a plea before the general elections in 2019 and the court had held that due to impending elections, it was not possible to get into the plea.