New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) Taking note of the Delhi State Election Commission’s request ahead of Lok Sabha polls, a city court Wednesday ordered the release of 1,500 electronic voting machines (EVMs) that are in court custody for adjudication of disputes after municipal elections.
Additional District Judge (ADJ) Kamini Lau upheld the state Election Commission’s argument that the EVMs were required for the May 7 Lok Sabha polls in Delhi.

The machines, though in the Election Commissions’s possession, are considered to be in the deemed custody of the court when a judicial officer directs the poll panel to preserve election records for adjudication of disputes.

The court, dealing with a number of such petitions, had asked the Election Commission to preserve the EVMs, to be produced as evidence at the relevant stage in trial.

With just a few days to go for polling here, the Commission had moved applications before the court seeking the release of the EVMs so that they could be used at various polling stations.

The court, however, made certain conditions for the release of the EVMs. In cases where the disputes related to the signatures of the polling agents, the court directed the Commission to take photographs of the machines and attach them to the concerned files.

For other matters, the court directed the Commission to preserve relevant records.