Supreme Court is strict on the names of people whose houses were demolished being missing from the voter list.

Bureau Prayagraj- The Supreme Court on Monday directed the District Election Officer of Lucknow to investigate and resolve the complaints of 91 residents of Akbar Nagar. They claim that they were excluded from the voter list of Uttar Pradesh after their houses were demolished in September 2023.

The petitioners sought directions that their census forms be handed over to Booth Level Officers (BLOs), so that their voting rights can be preserved despite the lack of permanent address after the demolition of the houses in September 2023.

Today this matter came before the bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. The petitioners were represented by senior advocate M R Shamshad. At the outset, the bench indicated that it could not look into the matter of disputed facts relating to the residence of the petitioners through a writ petition.

However, the bench took cognizance of the petition filed by Sana Parveen and 90 others and directed the Lucknow District Election Officer to investigate their complaints and take remedial measures.

Shamshad argued that the residents were part of the special list during the 2025 revision process. The lawyer urged the Supreme Court that his clients should not be deprived of voting rights due to displacement.

However, the bench expressed willingness to allow local authorities to conduct factual verification. The bench said, “We are considering the question of factual inquiry. The High Court can consider it.”

The bench directed the Lucknow District Election Officer to ascertain the facts regarding the names of the petitioners in the former voter list and their present status. “The petitioners claim that they are residents of Akbar Nagar, Lucknow… It is claimed that the names of the petitioners have been deleted in the UP SIR because they have no identifiable address after the demolition drive,” the court said in its order.

The bench also gave liberty to the petitioners to appeal before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court in case they do not get relief from the District Election Officer.