New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to examine a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the blanket ban on voting rights for approximately 4.5 lakh pre-trial, undertrial, and non-finally convicted prisoners across India.

Issuing notice, a Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran sought responses from the Centre and Election Commission of India (ECI) in the matter.

The plea, filed through advocate Prashant Bhushan, argued that the blanket disqualification under Section 62(5) of the Representation of the People (RPA) Act, 1951, violates constitutional guarantees and international commitments.

The PIL said that the constitutional right to vote flows from inclusion in the electoral roll, and under Article 326 read with the RPA, disquali

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