NEW DELHI: Soon after the announcement of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) election results on Friday, the Delhi High Court issued notices to seven candidates, including newly elected president Aryan Mann and secretary Kunal Chaudhary, over alleged violations of its order banning victory processions.
The court had earlier directed on September 17 that no celebrations or processions be held after the results were declared. However, based on news reports and video footage aired by two television channels, the court noted that some candidates may have disregarded this directive.
The news channels have now been added as parties to the case and asked to preserve and submit footage covering the DUSU elections from September 10 to 19.
All seven candidates had already received show-cause notices from Delhi University for violations of the election code. They have denied all allegations.
“Has there even been one candidate who said, ‘Yes, we’re sorry’?... None of them has admitted even a single instance,” Justice Tushar Rao Gedela noted during the hearing.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Gedela, also condemned the display of luxury vehicles like Ferraris, Bentleys and Rolls-Royces during the campaign, calling it “tragic” and a “sad commentary” on the democratic process.
“Where are these vehicles coming from?” the court questioned, highlighting concerns over hooliganism and misuse of resources.
The court expressed disappointment that students had not learned from previous infractions, referencing the 2024 DUSU elections, during which vote counting was delayed due to widespread violations.
Delhi Police informed the court that 5,158 challans were issued from September 1 to 16, and 386 more from September 17 to 19, for various violations including reckless driving and regulatory breaches.