{"id":376631,"date":"2026-02-24T15:45:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T10:15:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?p=376631"},"modified":"2026-03-02T17:18:32","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T11:48:32","slug":"directions-on-west-bengal-sir-claims-adjudication-sc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/24\/directions-on-west-bengal-sir-claims-adjudication-sc\/","title":{"rendered":"WB SIR | SC permits deployment of Judges from Jharkhand & Odisha and WB Civil Judges for SIR claims adjudication"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Supreme Court:<\/span> While considering this petition highlighting the concerns regarding completion of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the State of West Bengal, the 3-Judge Bench of Surya Kant, CJI., and Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, JJ., issued several clarifications and directions regarding the SIR process. The Court importantly stated that the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court may consider requisitioning Judges from the neighbouring States of Jharkhand and Odisha<\/span> to take part in the SIR process.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the Court further permitted Civil Judges (Senior and Junior Division) in West Bengal with service experience of not less than 3 years, to participate in the process.<\/p>\n

The Court in its previous order dated 20 February 2026<\/span>, had requested the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court to spare some serving judicial officers, along with some former judicial officers<\/span> of impeccable integrity in the rank of District Judges\/Additional District Judges<\/span>, who can then, in each district, be requested to revisit and dispose of the pending claims under the category of “logical discrepancy\/unmapped category”.<\/p>\n

The Court in its 20th<\/span> February order had noted that the SIR process is struck at the stage of adjudication of claims and objections of the persons who have been included in the “logical discrepancy\/unmapped category”<\/span>. Most of the persons to whom notices under this category were issued have submitted their documents in support of their claims for inclusion in the voter list. “These claims are required to be adjudicated, in a way, through a quasi-judicial process by the EROs. In terms of the rules, practice and convention, the State Government is obligated to provide Group A officers to perform the duties of the EROs, who are in the substantive rank of SDOs\/SDMs<\/span>”. The Court therein had directed that each such judicial officer\/former judicial officer shall be assisted by micro-observers from the side of the ECI and by officers of the State Government who have already been deputed by the State to perform or assist in such duties.<\/p>\n

Important Directions by the Court on 24 February 2026:<\/h3>\n