The Supreme Court on Monday issued key directions on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, stressing that the exercise must be transparent, peaceful and completed on time. The Court said the State has a duty to ensure that no law and order issues arise during the SIR process. The observations came after the Election Commission of India (ECI) and intervenors informed the Court about incidents of violence and alleged threats to Booth Level Officers (BLOs). The Court directed the State to provide adequate staff and full support to the ECI to ensure the smooth conduct of the exercise. A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant heard detailed arguments on alleged irregularities in the verification process. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioners, flagged serious gaps, saying only 300 hearing venues had been approved despite a requirement of nearly 1,900. Sibal told the Court that no BLOs had been assigned and alleged that “logical discrepancies” were being used to exclude names already present on the voter list. He argued that minor issues, such as spelling variations in surnames, were being cited to omit voters. Sibal urged the Court to direct authorities to publish a complete list of discrepancies along with hearing dates, covering both mapped and unmapped voters. Responding on behalf of the ECI, Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi said some cases showed a 15-year age gap between parents and children, which authorities treated as suspicious. Justice Joymalya Bagchi questioned this approach, asking how such a gap could automatically be considered a discrepancy in a country where child marriages have existed. CJI Surya Kant said voters could appoint any authorised person to assist them, including Booth Level Agents (BLAs). The Court directed that the names of persons with discrepancies be displayed at panchayat and ward levels, allowed the submission of documents through authorised representatives, and ordered ECI officials to issue acknowledgements upon receiving documents.
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