Delhi HC: Booth-Level Agents Not Liable for False Electoral Roll Details

The Delhi High Court on Thursday ruled that booth-level agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties cannot be held liable for false details submitted in enumeration forms during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Justice Amit Bansal held that booth-level agents are responsible only for information that can be directly verified, such as confirming that an elector's photograph matches their identity. The court clarified that agents are not in a position to authenticate every piece of information entered on an enumeration form.

“BLA can only be made liable in terms of Section 31 of Representation of People Act for information that can be verified by the BLA, i.e., the photograph on the enumeration form matches with the identity of the elector,” Justice Bansal said in the order. The court observed that other personal details on the form would remain exclusively within the knowledge of the individual elector.

Under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, submitting false declarations during the preparation, revision, or correction of an electoral roll is a punishable offence carrying imprisonment for up to one year, a fine, or both.

The ruling came on a petition filed jointly by Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav and the chairman of the party’s booth management committee.