Advocate seeks contempt action against Chief Election Commissioner over alleged Supreme Court violations
An advocate has petitioned the Attorney General for India to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging wilful disobedience of Supreme Court judgments governing the Election Commission of India. The plea invokes the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, and focuses on how decisions are taken within the three-member poll body.
The move follows a report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over the previous 10 months to decisions allegedly taken without their knowledge or approval. Issues included changes to electoral forms, modifications to electoral rolls, and centralisation of database access. The two Commissioners had described several actions as "unauthorised" and "illegal".
The Election Commission has rejected suggestions of internal discord, stating that differing views are normal in institutional deliberations and that its decisions remain unanimous. The contempt plea cites the Supreme Court's T N Seshan v Union of India judgment, arguing the CEC's actions violate the requirement that the Commission function as a multi-member constitutional body.
