Election – Supreme Court Seeks Report Over Non-Functional SIR Tribunals in Bengal

Election –  The Supreme Court on Monday indicated that it would request an immediate status report from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court following concerns that appellate tribunals formed under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal were not operating effectively.

Concerns Raised Over Tribunal Accessibility

The issue was brought to the court’s attention by senior advocate Devadatt Kamat during a hearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, alongside Justice Joymalya Bagchi. Kamat informed the court that the tribunals established to hear appeals related to voter list revisions were largely inactive in practice.

He further submitted that legal representatives were not being permitted to appear before these tribunals. Instead, only digital submissions through online platforms were being accepted, raising questions about accessibility and fairness in the process.

Court Expresses Displeasure Over Repeated Mentions

During the proceedings, the Chief Justice expressed concern about the increasing number of urgent mentions related to the SIR exercise. The bench indicated that such repeated interventions were not desirable unless absolutely necessary.

However, Kamat responded by stressing that the court’s earlier directives were not being implemented as intended. According to him, the ground situation warranted immediate judicial attention to ensure compliance with prior orders.

Taking note of these submissions, the bench stated that it would seek a report from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court on the same day to understand the actual functioning of the tribunals.

Earlier Directions on Electoral Roll Revision

The matter is linked to an earlier order passed by the Supreme Court on April 13, where it had issued specific directions to the Election Commission of India (ECI). The court had instructed the ECI to publish a supplementary revised electoral roll in cases where appellate tribunals allowed appeals against the deletion of voter names.

The bench clarified that such revisions must be carried out promptly once decisions are made by the tribunals within the prescribed timelines. These timelines included April 21 or April 27, 2026, depending on the stage of the appeal.

Voting Rights Linked to Tribunal Decisions

The court had also drawn a clear distinction regarding voting rights. It stated that only those individuals whose appeals had been successfully resolved by the tribunals would be included in the updated voter list and allowed to exercise their franchise.

At the same time, the bench made it explicit that individuals whose appeals were still pending would not be eligible to vote. This clarification was intended to maintain the integrity of the electoral process while ensuring due consideration of grievances.

Petition by Individuals Deemed Premature

In a related development, the Supreme Court had declined to hear a petition filed by 13 individuals who challenged the removal of their names from the electoral rolls during the SIR process. The court described the plea as premature.

It advised the petitioners to first approach the designated appellate tribunals, which were specifically set up to address such disputes. This step, the court indicated, was necessary before seeking intervention from higher judicial forums.

Tribunal Structure in West Bengal

To handle the volume of appeals arising from the voter list revision exercise, the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court had constituted 19 appellate tribunals. These bodies are led by former Chief Justices and retired judges of various high courts.

The intention behind setting up these tribunals was to provide an efficient and specialized mechanism for resolving disputes related to electoral roll exclusions. However, the recent concerns raised before the Supreme Court have brought their functioning under scrutiny.

As the court awaits a detailed report, the focus remains on ensuring that the electoral revision process is conducted in a transparent, accessible, and legally compliant manner.