SC permits deputation of officials from Jharkhand, Orissa High Courts in West Bengal SIR exercise

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday permitted judicial officers from the neighbouring High Courts of Jharkhand and Orissa to be deputed to West Bengal to expedite the adjudication of voter claims and objections arising from the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the poll-bound state.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipin Pancholi issued the directions after the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court informed the Apex Court about the massive pendency of cases involving "logical discrepancy" and "unmapped category" voters.

As per the communication placed before the Top Court, nearly 80 lakh applications require adjudication, while only about 250 judicial officers, primarily District Judges and Additional District Judges, are currently engaged in the exercise.