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Observing that the cardinal forces volition stay deployed, keeping successful caput the caller incidents, the Supreme Court connected Monday (April 6, 2026) said astir 60 lakh claims and objections of those removed from voters’ lists successful the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls successful poll-bound West Bengal volition beryllium decided during the day.
The Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court told the Supreme Court that arsenic of 12:04 p.m. connected April 6, that implicit 59.15 lakh retired of implicit 60 lakh objections person been decided by the judicial officers successful West Bengal SIR.
Also Read: West Bengal SIR proceeding Highlights connected April 6, 2026
A seat comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi resided implicit the case.
“The cardinal forces volition not beryllium withdrawn from West Bengal looking astatine the mode things person happened successful the past,” the CJI said, adding that, “If State machinery fails, past we volition spot what tin beryllium done.” The seat observed that adjacent successful Malda district, wherever judicial officers reportedly faced disruptions including gherao, astir 8 lakh cases had been disposed of.
The Election Commission of India (ECI), represented by elder advocator D.S. Naidu, informed the seat that the remaining claims would beryllium decided during the time and that a supplementary electoral rotation would beryllium published aboriginal connected Monday nighttime (April 6).
Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta said that caller documents should not beryllium submitted successful the appellate stage. Senior advocator Kalyan Bandhopadhyay, for TMC leaders, said the ECI had not fixed receipts for documents submitted successful the objection stage.
“Appeals are ‘trickling’ in. Those filed online are getting acknowledgments/receipts. Those filed physically, I volition check,” Mr. Naidu said.
The tribunal besides allowed clip until April 7 for completing pending integer signature uploads.
Senior advocator Shyam Divan, appearing for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, submitted that 19 appellate tribunals acceptable up to perceive challenges against elector deletions were yet to go afloat operational.
The seat directed the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to represent a three-member sheet of erstwhile elder judges to framework azygous procedures for these tribunals.
The sheet has been asked to finalise guidelines by April 7 to guarantee expeditious disposal of appeals.
The tribunal clarified that tribunals would person the authorization to analyse reasons for inclusion oregon exclusion from elector rolls and reappraisal documentary evidence, including records not uploaded online.
The tribunal expressed interest implicit reported threats and obstruction faced by judicial officers during the revision process and warned that if State machinery fails to guarantee safety, it would see due measures.
In presumption of past incidents, the seat besides indicated that cardinal forces would not beryllium withdrawn from West Bengal astatine this stage.
During the hearing, the seat emphasised the request to make an situation enabling tribunals to relation efficaciously and fairly. Justice Bagchi underscored that the relation of the ECI is to grow electoral information alternatively than restrict it.
(with inputs from PTI)
