Bengal SIR: SC allows judges from Odisha, Jharkhand to decide on objections

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that judges from Odisha and Jharkhand can also be deployed to decide on the claims and objections raised during the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal, reported Live Law.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi also allowed the Calcutta High Court to deploy civil judges in West Bengal with at least three years of experience to expedite the voter roll revision process, according to Bar and Bench.

The bench was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the conduct of the exercise in the state. West Bengal is among the 12 states and Union Territories where the special intensive revision of electoral rolls is underway.

The state’s draft electoral rolls were published on December 16. They showed that more than 58 lakh voters were removed after being marked dead, shifted or absent.

The deletion from the draft roll is provisional and citizens can file claims and objections against the removal of their names.

On Friday, the Supreme Court allowed the appointment of judicial officers to help complete the exercise amid a tussle between the Trinamool Congress government in the state and the Election Commission.

It had directed that Calcutta High Court’s serving and retired judicial officers of the rank of district judge or additional district judge...

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