The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Election Committee responsible for overseeing the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) elections to preserve CCTV footage of the polls until further orders.

The directive came in response to allegations from several candidates about instances of bogus voting and other procedural irregularities.

A Bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice KV Vishwanathan ordered that the video recordings be kept in the custody of Senior Advocate Vijay Hansaria, who chairs the Election Committee.

“Election Committee is directed to preserve the CCTV recordings till further orders. Video cameras shall be kept in the custody of Senior Advocate Vijay Hansaria,” the Court stated.

During the hearing, a lawyer raised concerns regarding women's representation in the SCBA executive. She referred to the Court’s earlier directions mandating 33 percent representation for women and argued that the Election Committee failed to implement this, declaring results purely on merit. According to her, at least two senior executive posts should have been reserved exclusively for women, irrespective of the number of women who were elected based on votes.

In response, the Court clarified that its previous orders emphasized "representation" rather than "reservation" in the strict constitutional sense.

Justice Surya Kant noted, “The intent was to ensure meaningful participation of women in the SCBA, not to apply the concept of reservation as used in public employment and services.”

The Bench also pointed out that three out of six elected members are women, thereby achieving the objective of inclusive representation. “No further reservation is required,” the Court said.

The Court remarked that any grievances regarding the Election Committee’s conduct should have been raised during the election process to allow timely intervention. Nonetheless, it assured members that serious allegations, if substantiated, would be personally examined by the judges—provided the complaints are not merely rooted in dissatisfaction with the results.

In addition, the Bench acknowledged calls for electoral reforms. One notable suggestion was to bar Election Committee members from contesting elections or supporting candidates to maintain impartiality.

Justice Kant emphasized the need for neutrality: “The impartiality of the Election Committee is essential.”

The Court asked that all suggestions regarding irregularities and reforms be submitted to the Registrar of the Supreme Court and preferably before the next hearing.

The matter is scheduled for further hearing on July 28.