Plea against SIR exclusion in Bengal: SC asks tribunal to accord out-of-turn hearing

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the appellate tribunal to accord out-of-turn hearing and decide an appeal filed by a man challenging the deletion of his name from the voter list after the Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal.

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the appellate tribunal to accord out-of-turn hearing and decide an appeal filed by a man challenging the deletion of his name from the voter list after the Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the order while hearing the plea seeking a direction for restoration of the petitioner's name in the electoral roll of Diamond Harbour constituency in the poll-bound state. While the first phase of the West Bengal assembly polls was held on April 23, the second phase is scheduled on April 29. The votes will be counted on May 4. ''The petitioner, being aggrieved by his exclusion from the voter list in the SIR process, is said to have already approached the appellate tribunal on April 2, 2026. We dispose of the instant writ petition with a request to the appellate tribunal to accord out-of-turn hearing and decide the petitioner's appeal at the earliest,'' the bench said. On April 24, the apex court asked the appellate tribunals to give out-of-turn hearing to those who make out a case of urgent hearing against deletion from electoral rolls after the SIR in West Bengal. The CJI had expressed happiness over the high voter turnout in the first phase of West Bengal assembly polls held on Thursday. The state registered a record voter turnout of 92.72 per cent in the first phase of voting for 152 constituencies. The bench was then hearing a batch of petitions, including the one filed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, related to the SIR of electoral rolls in the state. Earlier, the top court ordered that persons, whose pleas were allowed by the appellate tribunals before April 21 or 27, must be permitted to vote in the first or second phase of assembly elections, respectively. It, however, had clarified that mere pendency of appeal before the appellate tribunals would not give anyone a right to vote. Approximately 700 judicial officers from West Bengal and neighbouring Odisha and Jharkhand were deployed to deal with around 60 lakh claims and objections of those who were deleted from voter lists during the SIR of electoral rolls in the state. Later, the chief justice of Calcutta High Court, at the direction of the top court, set up as many as 19 tribunals headed by former high court chief justices and judges to decide appeals against deletion of names from the voter lists.