 Summary of this article
- The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Centre and Election Commission on a petition seeking voting rights for undertrial prisoners, challenging Section 62(5) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
- The plea proposes polling stations inside jails or postal ballots for undertrials, excluding those convicted of corruption or electoral offences, affecting around 4.5 lakh prisoners nationwide.
- Advocates argue the law violates fundamental rights and international norms, while the government has indicated no plans to amend it; the PIL seeks to address the fairness of disenfranchising undertrials.
The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to the Centre and the Election Commission of India on a petition seeking to restore voting rights for undertrial prisoners.
A bench led by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran heard the plea filed by Sunita Sharma, who argued that Section 62(5) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 — which bars all incarcerated individuals from voting — violates fundamental rights and the principles of democracy.
The petitioner urged the court to allow polling facilities inside jails or postal ballots for undertrials lodged outside their constituencies while excluding those convicted of corruption or electoral offences. |
