BCD Elections: Supreme Court Stays Ballot Counting Over Tampering Allegations

The Supreme Court has stayed counting of votes in the Bar Council of Delhi elections after allegations of irregularities, including tampering of ballot papers were raised before it today.

A CJI Surya Kant led bench passed the order after it heard a mentioning made by Advocate Shobha Gupta.

The bench also comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that the Delhi High Court would be the appropriate forum to decide the dispute.

Accordingly, the Supreme Court transferred the petitions concerning the Bar Council of Delhi elections to the Delhi High Court and requested the Chief Justice of the High Court to constitute a special bench within this week to hear the matter.

It has further been directed that the Division Bench will take up the case on a priority basis, conduct day-to-day hearings, and dispose of the matter at the earliest. 

The bench today also noted that a confidential letter dated May 2 was received from retired Justice J Talwant Singh of the Delhi High Court. "We have perused it. Without divulging the contents at this stage, we direct the Registry to re-seal it and send it to the Hon'ble Chief Justice of the High Court for necessary action,” the order stated.

The Bar Council of Delhi elections were conducted in February this year under the supervision of retired Delhi High Court judge Justice Talwant Singh, who was appointed as the returning officer. Notably controversy revolved around the elections were marred from the very beginning. On February 22, sixty-seven candidates, including two Senior Advocates, were placed under summary suspension for alleged large-scale violations of the Model Code of Conduct and the Election Rules, 2023.

Also, Bar Council of India placed a lawyer under interim suspension for allegedly misbehaving with Justice Talwant Singh. The lawyer allegedly attempted to manhandle the retired judge, instigating a group of lawyers and raising slogans against the election machinery while Justice Singh was inspecting an area following complaints of Model Code violations.

Bench: CJI Kant and Justice Bagchi

Mentioning Date: May 18, 2026