Supreme Court Issues Stern Warning Over Integrity of Judicial Officers in Bengal Electoral Roll Revision
The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday delivered a strong caution against any efforts to question the integrity of judicial officers who are overseeing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. The Court declared that such actions would not be tolerated and emphasized the critical need to maintain trust in the judiciary.
Bench Led by CJI Surya Kant Takes Firm Stand
The warning was issued by a Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, during a hearing on a batch of petitions related to the ongoing revision exercise. CJI Kant expressed strong disapproval of certain applications that highlighted the pendency of claims before judicial officers assigned to scrutinize voter inclusion and deletion requests.
"Your application is premature, and it shows as if you don’t have trust. How did you dare such applications are filed? No one should dare question the judicial officers. As a Chief Justice of India, I will not tolerate this," CJI Kant told the applicants, underscoring the Court's commitment to protecting the dignity of judicial functions.
Establishment of Appellate Mechanism to Address Grievances
To address potential grievances and ensure fairness, the Supreme Court directed that Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sujoy Paul may constitute a special bench. This appellate bench would comprise sitting or former judges to hear appeals against decisions made during the SIR process.
"We leave it to the chief justice (of high court) to decide how many judges shall be there in the appellate bench," said CJI Kant, providing flexibility in the formation of this body.
Election Commission to Bear All Costs
The Bench further instructed that the Election Commission of India (ECI) will bear all costs associated with the appellate mechanism and the judicial officers engaged in the exercise. This includes honorariums for former justices or present judges, as well as for former judicial officers, particularly noting that around 200 such officers are from neighboring states like Odisha and Jharkhand.
"High court chief justice is requested to fix the honorarium payable to former justices or present judges, and all costs shall be borne by the election commission of India. Similarly, honourarium shall be fixed for the service of former judicial officers, especially when 200 such officers are from neighbouring states," the order stated, ensuring financial support for the process.
Background and Progress of the Revision Exercise
Judicial officers from West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand have been deputed to conduct the SIR following the Supreme Court's earlier observation of a "trust deficit" between the ECI and the West Bengal government. On February 20, the Court had directed the deployment of serving and retired district judges to ensure the smooth execution of the revision.
During Tuesday's hearing, Senior Advocate Menaka Guruswamy informed the Bench that approximately seven lakh claims had been decided, 63 lakh remained under adjudication, and about 57 lakh were still pending. In response, CJI Kant expressed confidence in the officers' work, remarking, "We knew you people would run away when judicial officers are appointed. The high court chief justice has told us 10 lakh claims have been decided."
Emphasis on Judicial Findings and Future Steps
Emphasizing the seriousness of the judicial officers' findings, CJI Kant added, "If a judicial officer prima facie finds that you are not entitled to vote, then you will not vote." The Court also directed the ECI to issue a notification announcing the constitution of the appellate body to handle voter roll disputes, ensuring transparency and accountability in the process.
This directive reinforces the Supreme Court's role in safeguarding electoral integrity and judicial independence, particularly in sensitive regions like West Bengal, where electoral processes are under close scrutiny.
