02 April (TSP Bangla) – The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed 19 appellate tribunals to carefully re-examine all records while deciding objections related to the inclusion and exclusion of voters in West Bengal during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The court was informed that out of nearly 60 lakh cases under review, around 47 lakh had been disposed of by March 31. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi took note of a letter from Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sujoy Paul, which said the remaining cases are expected to be completed by April 7. The post-SIR supplementary lists include names of voters who have been added as well as those removed.
The bench clarified that the tribunals would also hear appeals filed by Election Commission officials if they are dissatisfied with decisions made by adjudicating authorities, including around 700 judicial officers from Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand.
To ensure transparency, the court asked tribunals to review the full records, including the reasons given by judicial officers while deciding objections, before ruling on appeals. It also directed that these reasons be shared with the concerned parties. The tribunals have been given the freedom to set their own procedures, provided they follow principles of natural justice and give all sides a fair hearing. The matter will be heard again at 4pm on Monday.
During the hearing, the bench dismissed concerns raised by senior advocates Shyam Divan and Kalyan Banerjee, appearing for the Bengal government, about a large number of Form 6 applications being filed by political parties to include voters. The Chief Justice noted that such developments are common during elections and said objections can be raised through proper channels.
Justice Bagchi observed that exclusion from the electoral rolls does not permanently take away a person’s voting rights. Those left out can still apply for inclusion in future by submitting valid documents, while ineligible names can also be removed upon verification.
The court emphasised that the ongoing revision exercise should be completed properly. It also reassured parties that legal remedies remain available if they are aggrieved by the decisions.
These observations came after concerns were raised that a significant portion of the names in the supplementary lists could be deleted.
The court noted that the Election Commission had set up 19 appellate tribunals on March 20, which will function for eight weeks from a facility on Diamond Harbour Road in Kolkata. It said the Commission could seek an extension of the venue if needed or arrange an alternative location, but clarified that the tribunals must continue to operate from Kolkata.
The bench was also informed that training for tribunal members would be conducted to help them handle both online and offline appeals efficiently.
Additionally, the court took note of concerns raised by the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice about the lack of recorded reasons in some decisions rejecting objections. The Election Commission assured the court that all relevant records submitted before judicial officers would be made available to the tribunals while deciding the appeals.
