A petition had been filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma in connection with the issue of tampering of EVMs. As per the petitioner, since 1982 the EVMs were not reliable and ballot papers were hundred percent reliable and that EVMs could be tampered with whereas ballot papers could not be. Due to the tampering of EVMs, various candidates and political parties allegedly won many elections and the use of EVMs should be stopped.

In the last hearing, the Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud had issued a writ of mandamus to the Election Commission of India to have the quality, software/malware and hacking effect in the EVMs examined from a reliable electronic lab/scientist and software expert and to file its report before the court for further action/prosecution, etc.

On Friday (August 4), the respondent’s reply reached the court and the court asked the petitioner to file his rejoinder within two weeks. The matter will be listed thereafter.

—India Legal Bureau