Supreme Court deploys judicial officers to oversee Bengal’s electoral roll revision amid SIR row
The apex court ordered that judicial officers be assigned to adjudicate claims and objections relating to individuals placed under the “logical discrepancy” category during the revision exercise
PTC Web Desk: In a significant intervention, the Supreme Court on Friday directed that serving as well as retired district judges be deployed to assist the Election Commission (EC) in carrying out West Bengal’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a process that has triggered sharp political confrontation in the state.
The direction came from a Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, who expressed concern over what they described as an “unfortunate blame game” between the poll panel and the TMC-led state government.
The apex court ordered that judicial officers be assigned to adjudicate claims and objections relating to individuals placed under the “logical discrepancy” category during the revision exercise. These discrepancies reportedly involve inconsistencies such as mismatches in parental names or irregular age gaps between voters and their listed parents, particularly where the age difference is less than 15 years or exceeds 50 years.
Taking note of submissions that adequate senior administrative officers were not being made available for the exercise, the court requested the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to identify serving judicial officers and, if required, appoint former judges to ensure the process is completed smoothly.
The Supreme Court allowed the Election Commission to publish the draft electoral roll by February 28. It also granted liberty to the Commission to issue supplementary voter lists subsequently, if required.
Importantly, the Bench clarified that decisions taken by the deputed judicial officers during the SIR proceedings would be treated as orders of the court.
To facilitate the exercise, the court directed district magistrates and superintendents of police across West Bengal to extend full logistical and security support to the judicial officers involved in the process. The Bench further noted that these officers would be assisted by micro-observers and designated state officials.
In a move aimed at coordination, the Supreme Court instructed the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to convene a meeting by Saturday involving key stakeholders, including the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, and a representative of the Election Commission.