New Delhi, April 7: The Supreme Court on Monday affirmed that it will not impose a specific timeframe for appellate tribunals to resolve the cases of approximately 20 lakh individuals excluded from the West Bengal electoral rolls. The decision comes during a special intensive revision (SIR) in the poll-bound state, following the disposal of 60 lakh claims and objections.
Justice Bagchi, representing the Bench, stated that the voter list must be finalized to ensure the electoral process moves forward. “Tribunals will go on hearing and we do not want to rush it, but we need to freeze the list somewhere,” the Justice maintained. While acknowledging that one layer of adjudication by judicial officers had concluded, the Court asserted that the appellate process could naturally extend between 30 and 60 days.
The legal challenge, brought forward on behalf of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, drew attention to a high rejection rate. Senior counsel Shyam Divan declared that available data from 44 lakh cases showed an exclusion rate of 45 percent. He noted that while seven lakh appeals had been filed, the 19 appellate tribunals were not yet fully operational.
Addressing concerns over the safety of those overseeing the revision, the Court confirmed that central forces would remain stationed in West Bengal. This follows the review of a video featuring a judicial officer expressing fear for her family’s safety. “The central forces will not be withdrawn from West Bengal looking at the way things have happened in the recent past,” the Bench affirmed.
Senior counsel DS Naidu, representing the Election Commission, informed the Court that remaining claims would be settled by Monday evening, with a supplementary roll to follow. In response to suggestions from advocate Kalyan Bandopadhyay that those cleared by April 21 should be allowed to vote, the Bench maintained that placing 19 tribunals on a strict deadline would lead to administrative chaos.
