16 October,2026 11:49 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Sanjay Raut. File Pic
The Supreme Court has sought an explanation from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut over his conduct while provisionally entertaining his petition challenging alleged irregularities in the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, as part of a larger plea filed by opposition leaders.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said Raut's petition would be entertained on a provisional basis, subject to his explaining his conduct.
"In W.P. (C) No. 1351/2026, the petition on behalf of Petitioner No. 6 (Sanjay Raut) is entertained on a provisional basis, subject to his explaining his conduct," the bench said in its order.
The development comes amid a controversy over remarks made by Raut concerning Chief Justice Surya Kant after the latter declined to meet Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to receive a memorandum on the SIR exercise.
The Chief Justice had said that holding a meeting to discuss matters pending before the court would run contrary to the constitutional principle of separation of powers, which forms part of the basic structure of the Constitution.
During a media interaction on October 12, Raut claimed that he had seen 60 to 70 judges, including the CJI, playing badminton with BJP leaders in London. The remarks drew criticism from members of the legal fraternity.
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has filed a criminal contempt petition against Raut and journalist Nikhil Wagle over their alleged remarks concerning the CJI and the judiciary.
The Attorney General has granted consent for initiating criminal contempt proceedings. The SCBA has alleged that the remarks could undermine public confidence in the judiciary. The allegations are yet to be adjudicated by the court.
Raut is among 13 opposition leaders who approached the Supreme Court on October 12, challenging the SIR exercise and alleging large-scale deletions of voters and irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.
The petition names the Election Commission, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi as respondents. Other petitioners include Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.
The opposition leaders have sought judicial scrutiny of the electoral roll revision process and alleged voter deletions.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court issued notice on the opposition leaders' petition, directing the respondents to file their replies, if any, by the next date of hearing. The matter was ordered to be tagged with pending petitions concerning the SIR exercise, with the next hearing scheduled for October 27.
(With inputs from IANS)
