Lifetime immunity from prosecution is a rare advantage. The constitutionality of the lifetime immunity and the resultant damage possible to free and fair elections have now been challenged by a petition in the Supreme Court. Lifetime immunity would seem to place these unelected officials on a higher plane of importance and job security than elected ones; do they make a separate category? The granting of lifetime immunity to EC officers placed in the context of the removal of the CJI from the panel could be perceived as a kind of trade-off — no institutional check. This would further erode the independence of the EC, since lifetime immunity from all kinds of prosecution would likely create compliant EC officers.

Source: The Telegraph January 15, 2026 02:24 UTC