The Supreme Court on Tuesday outlined a possible legal remedy for voters whose names may be removed from West Bengal’s voter list during the ongoing SIR verification process. Hearing the main petition related to the issue, the top court indicated that a special tribunal could be set up to hear appeals from voters whose names are struck off, offering them a direct route to challenge the decision.
According to information presented during the hearing, around 6 million voters are currently under scrutiny in the SIR verification exercise. Authorities have already processed nearly one million cases, while judicial officers continue to examine documents submitted by the remaining voters.
But a key question remained—what would happen to those whose names are ultimately removed from the electoral rolls?
The bench of Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice R. Mahadevan suggested the formation of a dedicated tribunal to handle such cases. The proposed body could consist of three retired judges, including a former Chief Justice, who would hear appeals from voters whose names are deleted after verification.
The Supreme Court indicated that the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court would be responsible for deciding the composition of the tribunal. If the retired judges agree to take up the role, the Election Commission would issue an official notification enabling the tribunal to function.
Once established, the tribunal would exclusively hear cases related to voters whose names were removed by judicial officers involved in the SIR process. However, the court did not specify when the tribunal would begin operating.
Despite the uncertainty around the timeline, the court’s suggestion effectively keeps a legal avenue open for affected voters to challenge any deletion from the electoral rolls.
During the hearing, senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee raised concerns regarding the publication of a supplementary voter list. Representing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, lawyer Menaka Guruswamy also questioned whether the verification process could realistically be completed within the current timeline.
Responding to these concerns, the Supreme Court stated that the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court may recommend the publication of a supplementary voter list to the Election Commission if necessary.
The court also made it clear that no questions should be raised regarding the work or integrity of the judicial officers involved in the SIR verification process, reaffirming confidence in the officials overseeing the exercise.
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