Will seek report from Calcutta HC: SC’s tribunal assurance

KOLKATA: Supreme Court said on Monday a report would be sought from the chief justice of Calcutta High Court “by today” on the functioning of the tribunals set up to hear appeals against exclusion of names from the electoral roll during the SIR after a lawyer flagged their “non-functioning” status.

Bengal’s assembly polls are scheduled for April 23 and April 29. SC’s April 13 order says deleted voters from the constituencies going to the polls in the first phase could cast their vote if the tribunals clear their names by April 21. The deadline for the second phase is April 27.



When the apex court ruling was issued, it was expected that the 19 tribunals would dispose of a certain number of appeals by the deadlines and the names cleared would be added to the electoral roll in time for the polls.

However, on Monday, senior advocate Devadatt Kamat submitted before the bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi that the appellate tribunals are not functioning despite SC’s order. The tribunals, he said, are not allowing lawyers to represent the appellants. Nor are they accepting physical applications.

Citing “practical difficulties”, Kamat said only “computer and internet-based applications” were being taken. “Citizens travelling thousands of kilometres (to the tribunals’ office in Joka) are not being allowed representation. This court’s order is not being implemented,” Kamat submitted.


The CJI said a report would be sought from the Calcutta HC chief justice. “Unfortunately, some professional strategy from this side… Every day, you people one after the other…” the CJI told Kamat.

Following SC’s order on April 13, deleted voters from across the state, especially from the 152 constituencies where the elections will be held on April 23, have been thronging the tribunals’ office to enquire about the fate of their appeals. Many of them are going back without any information about whether their names have been cleared.


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