New Delhi, 21 May (H.S.): The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to permit the continuation of vote counting in the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) elections.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Suryakant stated that the matter involves serious issues and that there would be no change in the interim order staying the counting process.

During the hearing, senior advocate Vikas Singh mentioned the matter before the Chief Justice-led bench, requesting that the counting process be allowed to continue, even if the final results were not declared. The Chief Justice, however, rejected the plea, stating, “We will not allow this. The matter involves serious issues. You may present your arguments before the High Court. This is only an interim arrangement. We do not wish to influence the High Court.”

The Supreme Court had earlier stayed the counting process in the BCD elections following allegations of irregularities and tampering with ballot papers. The bench had also transferred the matter to the Delhi High Court for further adjudication.

During earlier hearings, advocate Shobha Gupta had submitted that the counting process involved allegedly tampered ballot papers, calling it an emergency situation. The Court, however, observed that examination of the original records and ballot papers would be necessary for effective adjudication, and therefore it would be appropriate for the Delhi High Court to hear the matter.

The apex court transferred all petitions related to the election to the Delhi High Court and requested the Chief Justice of the High Court to constitute a special bench within the week.

The BCD elections were held on February 21, 22, and 23, while counting began on April 7. A total of 221 candidates were in the fray.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar