The Supreme Court is currently involved in a case concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process for voter lists in Bihar. The court announced on Tuesday that it is closely monitoring the process and will intervene if necessary. A key concern is the potential for widespread removal of names from the voter rolls. The next hearings regarding this matter are scheduled for August 12th and 13th.
The court has set a deadline for the consideration of various petitions that challenge the ongoing SIR process. Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, presiding over the bench, have instructed 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, have expressed concerns about the upcoming draft list, to be published on August 1st by the Election Commission. They claim that some individuals are being excluded, which could lead to the loss of their voting rights.
The bench affirmed the Election Commission’s constitutional role and the requirement for it to uphold the law. If irregularities occur, the petitioners can bring them to the court’s attention. The court requested that details of 15 individuals, whom the petitioners claim are wrongly declared dead, be provided to address the matter.