The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday issued a stern warning to the Election Commission of India, the Government of West Bengal, and petitioners involved in the dispute over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. The Court cautioned all parties against casting doubts on judicial officers appointed to verify the deletion of voters’ names from the electoral rolls.
A bench headed by Justice Surya Kant strongly defended the court-appointed judicial officers who are currently hearing appeals from voters whose names were removed during the revision process. The Chief Justice noted that these officers were already working beyond regular hours to handle the large number of cases and should not be undermined by unfounded allegations.
Expressing visible displeasure during the hearing, the Chief Justice said, “Don’t even dare to question the Judicial Officers! What more sacrifice do you want from them? They are working overtime to hear the cases of deleted voters from West Bengal! I will not tolerate this.”
The Court also directed the Election Commission to address concerns raised by the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court regarding the revision process. Additionally, it instructed both the Election Commission and the government led by Mamata Banerjee to ensure adequate logistical and administrative support to the judicial officers handling the appeals.
The strong remarks from the apex court came after a fresh application raised questions about the decisions of the judicial officers overseeing the SIR-related claims. The bench made it clear that the integrity and decisions of these officers must be respected.
During the proceedings, the Chief Justice also voiced concern over the conduct of both sides involved in the litigation. “We are doubting the bona fides of both sides,” he remarked, asking the parties to clarify who had filed the new plea questioning the judicial officers.
Senior Advocate Menaka Guruswamy and Trinamool Congress MP and lawyer Kalyan Banerjee, representing the petitioners, told the Court that they had no knowledge of any such fresh petition challenging the judicial officers’ decisions.
In a significant development, the Supreme Court also ordered the constitution of Appellate Tribunals to hear appeals against exclusions from the voter list under the Special Intensive Revision process. These tribunals will be composed of former Chief Justices and former judges of High Courts.
Under the arrangement, voters whose claims are rejected by the judicial officers will have the right to appeal before these tribunals. The Court clarified that the orders passed by the judicial officers would not be subject to appeal before any executive or administrative body.
To implement the mechanism, the Court suggested that the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court may request former Chief Justices and two or three former High Court judges—preferably from the Calcutta High Court or neighbouring states—to serve as members of the appellate tribunals.
The Supreme Court’s directions aim to ensure fairness and transparency in the voter roll revision process while maintaining judicial independence. The case also highlights the tensions between the state government and the Election Commission over the conduct of the electoral revision exercise, prompting the Court to step in to create a balanced and credible appeals framework.
Leave Your Comment