Preserve CCTV recordings of polling: Supreme Court to ECI

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure that video recordings of the polling are not erased during the pendency of a plea challenging the poll body's decision to increase the number of voters per polling station.

The development took place during the resumed hearing of a PIL challenging the ECI's communication(s) whereby the maximum number of electors per polling station has been increased from 1,200 to 1,500. After the counsel for the ECI sought time to file a counter, the SC granting the request, directed the ECI to ensure that the video recordings of the polling are not erased during the pendency of the matter.

Granting the ECI permission to file its counter affidavit within three weeks, a division bench headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna ordered "we find it appropriate to direct that the 1st Respondent shall maintain the CCTVs from which the videos are recorded as they were doing earlier".