NEW DELHI : The Supreme Court on Monday declined to pass an interim order suspending Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations that key decisions of the Election Commission were taken unilaterally without the concurrence of the other Election Commissioners.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana issued notices to the Centre, Election Commission of India, CEC Gyanesh Kumar and other respondents, seeking their responses to the allegations.
The petitioners sought Kumar’s suspension or divestment of his powers pending adjudication, alleging that several decisions linked to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls were taken without the approval of Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
The court, however, said it needed “authentic information” before passing any interim order and declined to act solely on media reports. It observed that if the records establish that decisions were taken neither unanimously nor by majority, such decisions could subsequently be annulled. The matter will now proceed after responses from the Centre and the Election Commission.