Live Updates on West Bengal SIR Hearing: The Supreme Court will continue hearing the petitions challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal today. A panel led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, is set to address the case.
What transpired during the previous hearing? In the last session, the Supreme Court criticized the West Bengal government for the violent actions directed at judicial officers in Malda district, who were assigned to review cases related to inconsistencies in the electoral rolls’ Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The court mandated that either the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conduct an inquiry into the situation, instructing that a preliminary report be submitted directly to the court.
Following this directive from the Supreme Court, the Election Commission (EC) transferred the investigation concerning the intimidation of seven judicial officers to the NIA. In a correspondence addressed to the NIA Director General, EC Secretary Sujeet Kumar Misra referenced the court’s order and tasked the agency with investigating the events that transpired on Wednesday.
During the prior hearing, the Supreme Court had reprimanded the state administration regarding violent incidents involving judicial officers in Malda district, who were handling cases related to discrepancies in the SIR of electoral rolls. The court’s directive for an investigation by either the CBI or NIA into the matter further underscores its seriousness.
