The Supreme Court of India has reaffirmed the legal principle that election petitions must be adjudicated strictly on the basis of the materials available on record. In a significant ruling, the Court set aside a Punjab & Haryana High Court order which had directed voter examination and fingerprint analysis in a case of alleged double voting. The apex court clarified that it is impermissible for an Appellate Court to remand an election petition back to a lower tribunal for the purpose of filling evidentiary gaps or introducing fresh witnesses and expert examinations if such pleas were not raised during the original proceedings. This ruling underscores the necessity of procedural rigor and the finality of pleadings in electoral disputes to prevent indefinite litigation.
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