SC to hear final arguments on Bihar SIR validity on October 7

The Supreme Court on Monday fixed October 7 for final arguments on petitions challenging the validity of Bihar’s special intensive revision of electoral rolls, clarifying its ruling will apply pan-India and cautioning that any illegality could nullify the exercise

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said it was presuming the Election Commission of India, being a constitutional authority, was following the law during the special intensive revision of the electoral roll in poll-bound Bihar and cautioned that in case of any illegality, the exercise would be set aside.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi fixed October 7 for hearing final arguments on the validity of Bihar SIR while refusing to offer any “piecemeal opinion” on the exercise.

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“Our judgment in Bihar SIR will be applicable for Pan-India SIR,” the bench said, clarifying it can’t stop the poll panel from conducting a similar exercise for revision of the electoral roll across the country.

The bench, however, allowed petitioners against the Bihar SIR exercise to also argue on the pan-India SIR on October 7. The top court, in the meantime, issued notice on a plea seeking the recall of the September 8 top court order directing the poll panel to include the Aadhaar card as the 12th prescribed document in the Bihar SIR.

On September 8, the apex court clarified that Aadhaar will not be proof of citizenship, and the poll panel can ascertain its genuineness on being submitted by an elector for inclusion in the electoral roll.