Supreme Court Dismisses West Bengal Objection To Training Module In SIR Exercise

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain objections raised by the West Bengal government and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to a training module issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for judicial officers deployed in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi dismissed the plea during an oral mention, emphasizing that the ECI's training guidelines cannot override the court's prior orders and that judicial officers should be trusted to act independently.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the state and TMC interests, argued that the training module—issued behind the back of the Calcutta High Court—specified which documents to accept or reject, potentially influencing decisions on voter claims and objections. He contended this contradicted the court's directive that modalities for the SIR process be settled by the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court and a related committee. The bench, however, rejected these concerns, stating there was no reason for alarm and that judicial officers would not be swayed by external influences.

The court stressed the need to avoid stalling the SIR exercise with what it described as "small excuses" or "everyday objections," urging an end to delays in the process. CJI Surya Kant remarked that the apex court knows its judicial officers well and they will perform their duties impartially. The bench reiterated that neither the ECI nor the state government could deviate from its standing orders, reinforcing judicial independence amid the ongoing verification of millions of claims.

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This development is the latest in a protracted dispute over West Bengal's SIR, initiated by the ECI to revise electoral rolls ahead of assembly elections. The process has involved flagging millions of voters under "logical discrepancies," leading to significant claims and objections. Following a "trust deficit" between the state government and the ECI, the Supreme Court invoked extraordinary powers under Article 142 to deploy serving and retired district judges, later expanded to include civil judges and officers from Jharkhand and Odisha. Over 500 judicial officers are now involved, with hundreds already handling disposals.

The ruling underscores the court's insistence on expeditious completion of the SIR, with the final electoral roll set for publication on February 28, supplemented by ongoing lists for resolved cases. Political tensions persist, as the TMC has accused the ECI of bias, while the commission maintains the exercise ensures accurate voter lists. The decision clears the path for judicial officers to proceed without further interference from the training module objections, allowing focus on verifying documents and resolving disputes in a time-sensitive electoral exercise.

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