SIR tribunal tells EC to add Cong nominee name to list

Behrampore/Kolkata: A special tribunal, formed after a Supreme Court directive, directed the Election Commission to add the name of Congress's Farakka candidate, Mahatab Sheikh, to the voter list, overturning a judicial officer's decision to strike his name off the rolls. Sheikh's name was added to the list later on Sunday. This was the first order passed by an SIR tribunal in Bengal.The order followed the Supreme Court's direction for an urgent hearing of 58-year-old Sheikh's appeal, as the deadline for filing nominations is Monday. Sheikh's name was "under adjudication" due to inconsistencies in the details of his late father and was then deleted. The tribunal on Sunday found merit in Sheikh's claims that all his personal details were in order. Sheikh's father, Ejabul, passed away six months ago.After deletion, Sheikh had moved the Calcutta High Court but was redirected to the Supreme Court. On April 3, he moved the apex court which ordered a swift resolution of his plea, after which Sheikh moved the tribunal. His appeal was heard by former Calcutta High Court Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam. The former CJ is among the 18 retired judges appointed to head the SIR tribunals.The hearing took place on Sunday at Salt Lake's Bidyut Bhavan. In his appeal, Sheikh submitted that his name appeared as Mahatab Sheikh on his Aadhaar card, passport, driving licence and his children's birth certificates. Advocates Firdous Shamim and Gopa Biswas argued on his behalf, while Divya Murugesan represented the EC.Shamim told reporters, "The tribunal on Sunday recognised Aadhaar as a valid document. Although Sheikh had other proofs, including a passport, the tribunal accepting Aadhaar as a primary document will go a long way in helping people who have few documents other than their EPIC and Aadhaar." Interestingly, Sheikh submitted to the tribunal the same documents he had submitted during his SIR hearing. The supporting documents were then rejected.According to the proceedings, the tribunal noted that a notice had been issued due to "factual inconsistencies" regarding the names of the applicant and his father. However, it ruled that even if such inconsistencies existed regarding the father's name, there was no issue with Mahatab's own identity. Consequently, the tribunal ordered the immediate restoration of his name to the voter list.Sheikh said, "I am an eligible voter, and I knew there was no discrepancy in my name or my documents, which was proven today." He added: "My name was present in 2002 as well. I don't know why I was put under adjudication."