NEW DELHI, Apr 20: The Supreme Court on Monday said it would call for a report from the chief justice of the Calcutta High Court today itself after it was alleged that the appellate tribunals constituted for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal were “not functioning”.
Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat mentioned the matter before a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi.
“This is the West Bengal SIR matter.Your lordships have listed the matter for April 24. The appellate tribunals are not functioning. Lawyers are not being allowed. They are only taking internet and computer-based applications,” Kamat said.
The CJI expressed displeasure that almost everyday, the matters related to SIR in West Bengal were being mentioned before it.
Kamat, however, argued that orders passed by the apex court in the matter were not being followed.
“We will get a report from the chief justice (of the high court) today itself,” the CJI observed.
Assembly elections in West Bengal will be held in two phases on April 23 and 29, and votes will be counted on May 4.
While hearing the West Bengal SIR matter last week, the Apex Court had directed the Election Commission to issue a supplementary revised electoral roll to include voters whose appeals against the deletion of their names are allowed by the appellate tribunals.
The top court had said the mere pendency of appeals preferred by excluded persons before the appellate tribunals shall not entitle them to exercise their right to vote.
“We, therefore, invoke our powers under Article 142 of the Constitution of India and direct the ECI that, wherever the appellate tribunals are able to decide the appeals by April 21, 2026, or April 27, 2026, as the case may be, such appellate orders shall be given effect to by issuing a supplementary revised electoral roll and all necessary consequences with respect to the right to vote shall follow.
“However, it goes without saying that the mere pendency of appeals preferred by excluded persons before the appellate tribunals shall not entitle them to exercise their right to vote,” the bench had said in its April 13 order.
The court had declined to entertain a plea moved by a group of 13 people seeking its intervention in the deletion of their names from the voter list during the SIR of the electoral roll in West Bengal.
The top court had termed the petition “premature” and directed the aggrieved parties to approach the appellate tribunals instead.
The Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court has set up 19 tribunals headed by former High Court Chief Justices and Judges to decide appeals against deletion or exclusion of names from the voters’ list. (PTI)
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