Supreme Court to Intervene if Names are Removed on a Large Scale in Bihar SIR Process

The Supreme Court is currently overseeing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process concerning voter lists in Bihar. During Tuesday’s hearing, the court stated it is monitoring the entire process and will intervene if necessary. The court specifically noted that it would intervene if a significant number of names are excluded from the voter list. The next hearings on this matter are scheduled for August 12th and 13th.

The Supreme Court has set a deadline for considering multiple petitions challenging the SIR process. The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, has directed all petitioners challenging the Election Commission’s decision to submit their written arguments by August 8th.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioners, reiterated concerns that some individuals are being excluded from the draft list to be published by the Election Commission on August 1st, thus potentially losing their right to vote.

The bench acknowledged the Election Commission as a constitutional body obligated to adhere to the law. It also stated that if any discrepancies arise, the petitioners can bring the matter to the court’s attention. The bench asked Sibal and Bhushan to provide the details of 15 individuals who they claim have been declared dead but are alive, stating the court would address the issue.