HC directs for forensic test of 2014 Maha polls' EVMs

The Bombay High Court has ordered forensic examination of all the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used at a booth in Pune during the 2014 Maharashtra assembly elections.
Justice Mridula Bhatkar ordered forensic testing of the EVMs on a plea alleging their tampering.
The bench on May 4 directed Pune's district collector to send the EVMs from booth number 185 of the Parvati constituency to Hyderabad's Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to carry out the tests.
The court gave the order while hearing the plea of a Congress candidate, Abhay Chhajed, who had contested the election from Parvati Assembly constituency but had lost it.

The Congress candidate said he had received much less votes than expected from booth numbers 185 and 242 in the constituency.
Chhajed said in his application that 89 voters from booth numbers 185 and 242 have given an affidavit stating that they had voted for him, but he actually got only 69 votes from the said booths.

The high court, while ordering for the EVMs to be sent to Hyderabad's FSL, said the forensic report would have to clarify whether the enclosed program counter data in the control unit gives the same result as declared by the Election's Commission's returning officer at Parvati assembly constituency.

It will also have to clarify whether the EVMs and its data have been accessed in any manner during the period from the date of polling and the date of result.
The court has posted the petition for further hearing on June 20.