New Delhi, Aug 19 The Delhi High Court on Wednesday reserved order on a PIL raising concerns over the disenfranchisement of the homeless on account of the Election Commission's house-to-house enumeration methodology for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls here.
"We will pass an order," said a bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia on a petition by Indu Prakash Singh seeking a direction to the authorities to ensure the enrolment or retention of the names of homeless or displaced persons in the SIR process.
The bench orally observed that it was not for the courts but the Election Commission (EC) to evolve a mechanism to ensure that the homeless or those displaced in the demolition drives were not excluded in the SIR, saying everything should not be thrust upon the courts.
It also remarked that the PIL did not cite any specific instances of a citizen being left out.
"You have to point out particular individuals who have been left out from this exercise. Everything is based on whatever perception you have," the court said.
The counsel for the EC assured the court that the poll body was aware of the concerns over the disenfranchisement of those without an address, and stated a protocol was already in place for such situations.
The petitioner's counsel, however, opposed the claim.
"Don't ask us to adjudicate these issues. It is for them to evolve a mechanism about how to have a more appropriate way to conduct this exercise. Everything should not be thrust upon the courts," the bench responded.
The petition stated that Delhi has around 3 lakh homeless persons and the EC's house-to-house enumeration methodology for the SIR was a "structural barrier" for them.
"The ongoing SIR exercise in Delhi, initiated vide ECI Directive No. 23/2025-ERS (Vol. II) dated 14.05.2026, presupposes the ability of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to physically locate existing electors at their recorded addresses.
"Consequently, persons who are already homeless or are rendered homeless or displaced by demolitions are at the risk of systematically excluded in violation of their right to franchise, later resulting in even their citizenship being questioned," the PIL said.
