SIR in West Bengal: SC refuses to entertain state's objection to training module for judicial officers

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday refused to entertain West Bengal's objections to a training module given by the Election Commission of India to judicial officers tasked with overseeing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the poll-bound state.

Appearing on behalf of the Bengal government, senior advocate Kapil Sibal made an urgent mention about the development before a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and

Justice Joymalya Bagchi. "Judicial officers have been given a training module on what to refer and what not to refer. This court stated the Chief Justice of High Court will decide modalities," Sibal contended. The contention, however, did not find favour with the bench, which ruled there was no reason to doubt the judicial officers overseeing the SIR and that they would work independent of the ECI. The bench also said it was not out of place for the poll body to coordinate with the judicial officers, since they have been directed to carry out tasks that are completely alien to their usual course of work. "Please do not make small excuses to stall the process. This has to end. Let judicial officers work. They will work independently" CJI Kant orally remarked.


Sibal protested that the judges "cannot take instructions from the ECI that follow this and take this certificate and not (take another)."

In response, Justice Bagchi remarked: "Who will train them to understand the process? Our order is clear as daylight and ECI instructions cannot override our orders."

Weighing in, CJI Kant added: "We gave an alien responsibility to the judicial officers."

Sibal also alleged that the ECI is not accepting identity proofs that were permitted in earlier court orders. The bench replied that if such concerns are true, they would be addressed by the court.