Monday’s Supreme Court session on West Bengal’s SIR voter exercise marked heightened oversight. Responding to TMC petitions led by Mamata Banerjee, CJI Suryakant extended scrutiny and list finalization to a week post-February 14.
State tasked with dispatching 8,505 Group B aides to EROs pronto; ECI empowered to integrate them after checks, as support staff only.
Police inaction on objection form incidents irked the bench—DGP notice issued for affidavit.
Lawyer crosstalk prompted CJI’s sharp intervention, paving way for structured arguments from Diwan and team.
Prior issues resurfaced: Massive spelling glitches, observer dependencies. State professed readiness with manpower, yet ECI awaited lists.
CJI prodded urgency; advocates clashed on request timelines and list adequacy. Pant outlined robust deployments across officer tiers.
Quasi-judicial demands noted, court greenlit replacements and fast-tracked onboarding.
Orders crystalized cooperation: Biodata vetting, short training, ERO primacy, bonus week for diligence.
Outcome promises cleaner rolls, balancing speed with accuracy amid political heat.