The Allahabad High Court demanded Video footage of the specified counting areas in order to identify the Election Commission’s liability in the deaths of 135 persons in Uttar Pradesh who contracted the Covid-19 virus days after fulfilling electoral duties.
While considering a PIL filed by in ‘Inhuman Condition at Quarantine Centers and for providing better care to Covid Positive,’ a division bench of Justices Siddhartha Varma and Ajit Kumar issued this directive.
“We have been told that the Covid guidelines and directions were certainly violated during the counting of ballots of Gram Panchayat Elections in the State that took place on April 29, 2021, and onwards,” the Court said. People flocked to the counting areas in large numbers, and both the Polling Officers and the Police Administration had utterly neglected to ensure that Covid protocols were followed.”
The Supreme Court ordered the State Election Commission to “produce before us the Surveillance footage of the specified counting locations and centers in the format of video print and also USB Drives by next date set, during first place related to District Lucknow, Prayagraj, and Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Gautam Budh Nagar, and Agra.”
Lawcutor 