Supreme Court Refuses to Suspend CEC Gyanesh Kumar over Alleged Unilateral Decisions in ECI
The bench said it may revisit decisions if records show they were not taken by majority or unanimity.
- On Monday, Chief Justice Surya Kant stated the Supreme Court had not approved any modifications to Form 6 and indicated the court will examine who altered the document upon receiving an Election Commission report.
- Without amending the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, the Election Commission introduced new conditions to Form 6, including a section on applicant parents' Special Intensive Revision status despite statutory form remaining unchanged.
- Commissioner Sandhu formally recorded on August 13, 2026 that the alteration was "unauthorised and illegal" and caused arbitrary harassment to first-time young voters; Election Commissioners objected on record 14 times in 10 months to the modifications.
- A three-judge bench headed by the CJI heard petitions against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while the Election Commission removed the SIR declaration from Form 6 in states where revision concluded.
- The Election Commission announced on September 26 that statutory forms will apply during non-SIR periods, while the petition contends the alterations constitute personal criminal liability outside official immunity, prompting court investigation into modification authority.
64 Articles
64 Articles
SC says changes to Form 6 not made by court; says post-retirement immunity to CEC not available to even judges
SC hears petitions demanding suspension of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of bias, administrative unilateralism, and procedural overreach during the SIR process
'Modified Form 6 Not Approved By Supreme Court': Chief Justice Surya Kant
The ECI has said that Form 6 itself has not been amended; it maintained that it only added an extra declaration to be used by new voters for the voter roll cleanup exercise Special Intensive Revision (SIR)
SC seeks EC response on changes during SIR: Why has Form 6 become a flashpoint
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Bagchi and Mohana sought responses from the Election Commission, the Centre, the CEC and the other two election commissioners before examining whether the poll panel's statutory procedure was followed. The bench refused to pass an immediate order seeking the suspension of CEC , while considering the controversy over Form 6, which was one of the central issues raised in the petitions.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar Gets Relief As Supreme Court Issues Notice On Plea Challenging ECI Decisions
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to immediately suspend Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations that several decisions linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were taken without the approval of the other Election Commissioners. A bench
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