The Supreme Court today declined to entertain a plea challenging the deletion of names from the voter list during the Special Intensive Revision exercise in West Bengal, terming it premature. A bench headed by Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi directed the petitioners to approach the designated appellate tribunals set up to hear such grievances.

 

The court noted that nearly 30 to 34 lakh appeals are pending, with each tribunal handling over one lakh cases. It emphasised that due process must be followed and said judicial intervention at this stage could disrupt the electoral process. 

 

The court also directed that security cover for judicial officers engaged in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal must continue until the completion of the upcoming Assembly elections. The direction comes in the backdrop of the 1st April incident in Malda, where judicial officers were allegedly held captive by a mob.