March 11, 2026 : The Supreme Court has cautioned against attempts to question the integrity of judicial officers supervising the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, making it clear that such allegations would not be accepted. The Court also proposed the creation of a dedicated appellate mechanism to deal with disputes arising from decisions taken during the revision process.

The matter was heard by a Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi while considering petitions related to the ongoing electoral roll revision being carried out with the assistance of judicial officers from West Bengal and neighbouring states.

During the proceedings, some applications pointed out that claims and objections regarding voter eligibility were pending before the officers conducting verification. The Bench, however, noted that the revision exercise had already made substantial progress, with lakhs of claims processed and judicial officers working extensively to complete the verification.

Responding strongly to submissions that appeared to question the role of these officers, the Bench defended their credibility and stressed that the exercise is intended to ensure the accuracy of electoral rolls by identifying legitimate voters. Chief Justice Surya Kant remarked that no one should attempt to cast doubt on the integrity of judicial officers and said such allegations would not be tolerated.

To ensure an effective system for addressing disputes, the Court indicated that the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court may consider constituting a special bench of former or sitting judges to hear appeals against decisions taken during the SIR process.

The Supreme Court also directed the Election Commission of India to bear the expenses related to the functioning of this proposed appellate mechanism and to issue the necessary notification.