Delhi HC Limits Election Videography Petition to Capital Jurisdiction

The Delhi High Court has restricted a petition seeking nationwide videography and CCTV footage from Lok Sabha elections to the jurisdiction of Delhi only. Petitioner Mehmood Pracha must approach local District Election Officers and provide necessary documentation. The matter will be heard further on August 5.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday limited a petition seeking direction for the supply of videography and CCTV footage from the recent Lok Sabha elections to within Delhi jurisdiction. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav ruled that the jurisdiction of the petition is limited to the Delhi High Court.

The bench advised the petitioner, Mehmood Pracha, to approach the concerned District Election Officers (DEOs) of respective states and Union Territories for footage outside Delhi. The Election Commission of India (ECI) cannot supply the requested material for areas beyond Delhi.

The court will entertain the petition concerning the seven parliamentary constituencies within Delhi only. Pracha was instructed to place on record the applications he moved before the DEOs in Delhi, alongside the manuals, rules, and frequently asked questions of the ECI.

The matter has been listed for further hearing on August 5. Pracha, an advocate who fought the Lok Sabha elections from Rampur in Uttar Pradesh, had written to DEOs nationwide seeking the videography and CCTV footage of the election process under the Manual on Electronic Voting Machines.

The plea, opposed by senior advocate Maninder Singh representing the ECI, requests footage from the entire election process, including first level checks and the storage of EVM-VVPAT machines.