The Supreme Court has decided to request a report from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court concerning the operational status of appellate tribunals handling electoral roll disputes arising from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) initiative in West Bengal. Senior advocate Devdatt Kamat raised concerns before Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi about the alleged inefficiency of these tribunals in adhering to the Supreme Court’s directives.
Kamat highlighted that the appellate tribunals, established as per previous Supreme Court instructions, were not functioning adequately and were reportedly not following the court’s orders. He pointed out that these bodies were only accepting online applications and were not permitting legal representation, thus limiting individuals’ ability to pursue their appeals effectively.
Acknowledging the issue, CJI Kant remarked on the repetitive nature of such mentions and suggested that the Supreme Court would seek a response from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court promptly. This development is significant due to the Supreme Court’s prior directives mandating the establishment of an independent appellate mechanism to resolve disputes related to electoral roll inclusions and exclusions during the SIR exercise.
In a previous ruling, the Supreme Court had instructed the formation of appellate tribunals composed of former High Court Chief Justices and judges to ensure a fair platform for resolving electoral roll disputes. The Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court was empowered to propose names for these tribunals, with the Election Commission of India (ECI) responsible for issuing official notifications and covering associated expenses.
