EC defends integrity of EVMs in SC, asserts it can’t be manipulated
The Election Commission of India (ECI) defended the integrity of the electronic voting system, asserting that it was not prone to any external interference or manipulations.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused an urgent hearing on a PIL seeking reforms in police force across the country.
"Sorry. Declined," a bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul said when the counsel sought urgent hearing of the PIL on the issue.
"Police reforms are going on and on. Nobody listens to our orders," the bench said when Ashwini Kumar Upadhya, lawyer and Delhi BJP spokesperson, insisted on an urgent hearing.
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Upadhya, in his plea, has sought directions to states and the Centre to implement massive reforms in the police force including a fixed tenure for senior officers.
Earlier, the apex court had allowed Upadhyay to intervene as a party in a pending PIL on the issue of police reforms.
He had sought direction to the Centre, state governments and the Law Commission for implementation of police reforms and the Model Police Act, 2006 to ensure an "effective and impartial police system".
"That arbitrary and unaccountable functioning of the police has led to complete alienation of many citizens from the state. Complete politicisation of the police force has led to highly partisan crime investigation. State governments have been habitually abusing their powers to drop serious criminal charges against their supporters and foist false cases against their opponents," the petitioner said.
The Model Police Act-2006 creates mechanism and processes which will help the police perform its functions more efficiently and also enhance its credibility in the eyes of the public, it said.
The plea has sought direction for setting up of State Police Board under the chairmanship of the State Home Minister and comprising the Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, the Chief Secretary, the Home Secretary and the Director General of Police among others to lay down policy guidelines for efficient policing.
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