The Supreme Court on Thursday issued significant directives while uploading its order regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) case in West Bengal. Exercising its special powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to implement the decisions rendered by the Appellate Tribunal.
Who will have the right to vote?
The Supreme Court clarified that the individuals whose appeals are allowed (approved) by the Appellate Tribunal shall be entitled to exercise their right to vote on April 23.
Other individuals whose appeals are disposed of by April 21 or April 27 shall also be permitted to cast their votes.
SC issues directives to EC
The Supreme Court directed the ECI to publish a supplementary revised electoral roll in such cases, thereby enabling the concerned individuals to exercise their franchise.
What SC said on pending appeals?
The Supreme Court further clarified that the mere pendency of an appeal does not, in itself, entitle an individual to the right to vote. In other words, permission to vote will not be granted until a decision is rendered on the appeal, the apex court said.
Security cover to officers in Special Intensive Revision will remain in place: SC
The Supreme Court earlier this week made it clear that the security cover provided to judicial officers engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal will remain in place until the conclusion of the upcoming assembly election and cannot be withdrawn without its prior permission.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi also wanted to know if those arrested by the NIA for the April 1 gherao of seven judicial officers in Malda district "had any political background", with the CJI saying "this has to be taken to a logical conclusion".
The CJI declined to pass any order on fixing a timeline for the 19 appellate tribunals to decide the appeals of deleted voters. As many as 700 judicial officers from West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand are deployed in the ongoing SIR process to deal with over 60 lakh objections of those excluded from the voter list.
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