Supreme Court declines urgent hearing on Bengal SIR appeals

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to advance the hearing of pleas concerning pending appeals arising from West Bengal’s electoral roll revision. The matter will be heard on October 5, a day before bypolls in Rejinagar and Nandigram

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to advance the hearing of pleas concerning the pendency of appeals arising from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.

Bypolls in Rejinagar and Nandigram Assembly constituencies in the state will be held on October 6.

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A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said the matter would be taken up on October 5.

The matter was mentioned for an urgent hearing after the court was informed that the case, earlier expected to be heard on September 29, was now tentatively listed for October 5.

Seeking an earlier hearing, the lawyer said more than 18,000 appeals against the exclusion of names from the electoral rolls were still pending before appellate tribunals constituted pursuant to the Supreme Court’s directions.

“There are more than 18,000 appeals pending which have not been disposed of. These people did not take part in the first elections,” the counsel said, adding that the affected voters could miss out on exercising their franchise for a second time.

The counsel pointed out that the October 6 bypolls were scheduled immediately after the proposed October 5 hearing and urged the court to take up the matter earlier.

“These are only by-elections,” the CJI said, adding that the matter would be taken up on October 5.