A plea has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking that elections to the Shahdara Bar Association be conducted through both online and offline modes, citing security concerns at the Karkardooma Court Complex.
The petition was presented by Justice Talwant Singh (Retd.), Chairperson of the Shahdara Bar Association Election Committee, who was appointed by the Court on April 7, 2025. The elections are scheduled for May 9, 2025.
The matter came up for hearing on May 3, 2025, before a full bench comprising Justice Prathiba M. Singh, Justice Navin Chawla, and Justice C. Hari Shankar.
Justice Talwant Singh highlighted several serious concerns regarding the security arrangements, stating:
“Keeping in view the acrimonious atmosphere prevailing in the bar, especially among the candidates who are contesting the elections, in my view, it will be quite difficult to conduct an election by physical voting.”
Read also: Delhi High Court Upholds Dismissal of CAPF Constable Over Unauthorised Absence After Surgery
He further informed the Court that although police officials had assured support, past experiences showed that even the presence of police could not prevent chaos if candidates and their supporters, including lawyers, turned aggressive.
Additionally, concerns were raised about the infiltration of anti-social elements, as experienced in previous elections. He stated:
“In the last election, few candidates had brought in musclemen and other outsiders, dressed similarly to advocates. If physical voting is allowed this time, it will be impossible to prevent such entry, leading to disruption of the election process.”
Given these issues, the plea requested the Court to allow hybrid voting—both online using registered mobile numbers and offline.
Read also: Delhi High Court Restores 'Davidoff' Trademark, Overturns IPAB’s Order
The Court issued several directions in response:
- Notice to Candidates: All candidates contesting for President, Vice President (male and female), and Honorary Secretary positions must be informed about the plea via SMS and WhatsApp. They were instructed to either appear or be represented in court on the next hearing date.
- Election Commission of India (ECI): Notice was also issued to the ECI, from which Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are being sourced. The Court instructed Mr. Siddhant Kumar, counsel for ECI, to obtain instructions regarding the EVM expenses.
- Delhi Police: The Court directed Mr. Sanjay Lao, Standing Counsel (Criminal), to get instructions from the DCP of the concerned area regarding adequate police deployment. The Court emphasized:
“Such security would be required to be provided from 8th May, 2025 onwards until the results of the election are declared.”
A status report on the security arrangements must be filed, and the concerned DCP is required to be present in Court at the next hearing.
Previously, the Delhi High Court had fixed March 21, 2025, for the elections of all Bar Associations. However, polls in Shahdara and Saket were postponed for various reasons. Fresh directions for conducting the Shahdara Bar Association elections on May 9, 2025, were issued following the Court’s orders on April 7 and April 25, 2025.
The matter is now listed for further hearing on May 5, 2025, at 2:30 PM.
