Delhi High Court Halts DUSU Vote Counting Over Property Defacement

The Delhi High Court paused the DUSU election vote counting until all defacement materials are removed, urging the university to manage the process and bear cleanup costs. The university must secure the EVMs and ballot boxes and ensure compliance. Further proceedings are set for October 21.

The Delhi High Court has halted the counting of votes in the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections scheduled for Friday. The court's decision came after defacement materials, including posters and graffiti, were not removed, and public property remained unrestored.

A bench led by Chief Justice-designate Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela stated that the election process could continue, but vote counting would be delayed until the court is satisfied with the removal of defacement. The court also ordered that election-related materials like EVMs and ballot boxes be securely stored.

The university was further directed to cover the expenses incurred by civic authorities in the cleanup and then reclaim the funds from the candidates. The court criticized the university for failing to manage the candidates and uphold the electoral standards, highlighting the need for robust systems and courage to enforce discipline.

(With inputs from agencies.)