Supreme Court Orders Voter Appeal Tribunals in West Bengal

The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday ordered the creation of independent appellate tribunals, staffed by former high court chief justices and judges, to handle appeals from voters excluded from electoral rolls during West Bengal's ongoing Special Intensive Revision exercise. The directive aims to provide a judicial mechanism for those whose claims for inclusion were rejected by appointed officers, addressing concerns raised in multiple petitions before the court.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and R Mahadevan, issued the order while hearing a batch of cases related to the revision process. The court emphasized that decisions by judicial officers involved in verifying claims and objections cannot be appealed to executive or administrative bodies, recalling its February 24 ruling on the matter. Instead, the new tribunals will offer an impartial review forum. The Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court has been tasked with recommending suitable retired judges, preferably from the Calcutta High Court or neighboring states, with the number of members per bench left to their discretion. Once recommended, the Election Commission will...