Panaji/Alive News: The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court has directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to restore the names of five members of a family that were deleted from the electoral roll during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
On Thursday, the court gave the Election Commission 10 days to verify their addresses and restore their names. It also rejected the ECI’s request to put the order on hold.
The case involves a family from Saligao, Goa, whose members had submitted Form 8 applications to update their residential addresses. However, their names were removed from the draft electoral roll during the SIR process. The family then approached the High Court, challenging the deletion and rejection of their applications.
HC Questions EC’s Demand for Form 6
The Election Commission argued that voters were required to submit an Enumeration Form along with Form 8 under the SIR process. Since the family had not submitted the required document, they were asked to apply through Form 6 as new voters.
The High Court questioned why existing voters who had only changed their addresses were being asked to register again. It observed that their Form 8 applications could have been kept pending instead of being rejected, ensuring that eligible voters were not excluded from the electoral roll.
Court Rejects EC’s Request to Delay Hearing
The ECI sought more time, stating that related SIR matters were pending before the Supreme Court. However, the High Court said the Goa case was different because the electoral roll revision process had already been completed in the state.
The court emphasised that protecting eligible citizens from exclusion from electoral rolls was the Election Commission’s constitutional responsibility.
Difference Between Form 6 and Form 8
Form 6 is used by individuals applying for voter registration for the first time, while Form 8 is meant for existing voters who want to correct their details or update their residential address.
The court’s order aims to ensure that eligible voters do not lose their voting rights because of procedural issues.
