The Delhi High Court has directed the Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCS) to take custody of and preserve the entire election record of the Anand Lok Co-operative Group Housing Society Ltd., after allegations of irregularities were raised in the conduct of the Managing Committee elections. The Court also left open the petitioner’s remedies to challenge the elections under the applicable Act and Rules.
A Division Bench of Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Vikas Mahajan was hearing a petition challenging the RCS order dated July 31, 2026, appointing an Administrator over the Society just two days before elections scheduled for August 2. The Court had earlier questioned the timing of the appointment, noting that the RCS was aware of the pending proceedings and the imminent elections, and had observed that an Observer could instead have been appointed.
At the present hearing, the Deputy Registrar who passed the impugned order appeared before the Court and conceded that there may not have been any need to appoint an Administrator, while the RCS submitted that the appointment was intended to ensure that the elections were conducted smoothly. The Court, noting the official’s fair and candid stand and the fact that the elections had already been held, declined to proceed further on that issue.
The Court directed the Deputy Registrar to visit the Society and take custody of the complete election records, with the process to be completed by August 31. The petitioner was permitted to provide a list of records requiring preservation and remain present during their takeover. The Court further directed the Society’s President and Secretary to hand over the records, warning that failure to do so would be viewed strictly.
The petition and pending application were accordingly disposed of, while the petitioner’s right to challenge the elections in accordance with law was expressly kept open.
