The Supreme Court is currently hearing a case related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process for voter lists in Bihar. In a Tuesday hearing, the court stated that it is closely monitoring the proceedings and will intervene if warranted. The justices highlighted their concern about the potential exclusion of a significant number of names from the voter list. Further hearings on the matter are slated for August 12th and 13th.
The court has established a timeline for reviewing multiple petitions that challenge the SIR process. The bench, consisting of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, has directed all petitioners contesting the Election Commission’s actions to submit their written arguments by August 8th.
Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioners, have voiced concerns regarding the upcoming draft list, scheduled for release by the Election Commission on August 1st. They allege that some individuals are being removed, which would deprive them of their voting rights.
The bench reiterated the Election Commission’s constitutional standing and its duty to abide by the law. The court offered petitioners a channel to bring any irregularities to its notice. Specifically, the court asked for information on 15 individuals alleged to be alive despite being listed as deceased to address the claims.