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DUSU polls: HC directs chief election officer to preserve EVMs as NSUI alleges foul play

ABVP candidate Aryan Maan was elected to the president's post in the DUSU polls this year

The court of Justice Mini Pushkarna issued notice to DU and directed the chief election officer for DUSU polls to preserve the EVMs along with the paper trail.The court of Justice Mini Pushkarna issued notice to DU and directed the chief election officer for DUSU polls to preserve the EVMs along with the paper trail.

The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the chief election officer to preserve electronic voting machines (EVMs) and related paper trail pertaining to the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections this year. While hearing a petition by National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) leaders alleging tampering of EVMs, the High Court also sought a response from the varsity.

The petition was moved by Ronak Khatri, who was elected president in last year’s poll, and Joslyn Nandita Chaudhary, who contested on behalf of NSUI for the post of president this year. Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) candidate Aryan Maan secured the top post in the student elections held last week.

Congress’s student wing NSUI is seeking quashing of the election process and a declaration that the September 18 polling was vitiated on account of EVM tampering, “which were found to be marked in a manner favouring a particular candidate”.

According to NSUI leaders, the EVMs had been deliberately tampered with, with blue ink markings against the name of ABVP presidential candidate Maan, “to influence voters”.

It has also been submitted that the irregularities were “specifically witnessed and reported” at Hansraj College, Kirori Mal College, and the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, and similar complaints were “also emanated from several other colleges and departments across the University campus, as reported by various students”.

Reporting of such incidents to returning officers, teachers on election duty and other authorities has yielded no response, according to the petitioners.

The court of Justice Mini Pushkarna posted the matter next for December 16 after it issued notice to DU and directed the chief election officer to preserve the EVMs along with the paper trail.

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The petitioners have also alleged that the conduct of the election officers, university officials, and several teachers deputed on election duty further reveals collusion and complicity, as they acted in a manner suggesting that they were “hand in glove” with the ABVP’s presidential candidate.

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

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