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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday, April 20, said it will seek a report from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court on the functioning of appellate tribunals set up to hear appeals against inclusions and exclusions in West Bengal’s electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of the submission by senior advocate Devadatt Kamat that the tribunals were not functioning in compliance with the top court’s earlier orders.

Kamat told the bench that the appellate tribunals were not permitting lawyers to represent parties and were only accepting applications through the internet and computer-based modes, effectively denying representation to citizens from remote areas.

“Appellate tribunals are not functioning. Lawyers are not being allowed. They only take internet and computer-based applications. Citizens from thousands of kilometres are not allowed representation. This court’s order is not being followed,” Kamat submitted.

The CJI expressed displeasure at the repeated mentions in the matter.

Kamat also placed before the court newspaper reports relating to the functioning of the appellate tribunals. “We will get a report from the Chief Justice today itself,” the CJI said.

Assembly elections in West Bengal will be held in two phases on April 23 and 29, and votes will be counted on May 4. 

While hearing the West Bengal SIR matter last week, the apex court had directed the Election Commission to issue a supplementary revised electoral roll to include voters whose appeals against the deletion of their names are allowed by the appellate tribunals.

The top court had said the mere pendency of appeals preferred by excluded persons before the appellate tribunals shall not entitle them to exercise their right to vote.

“We, therefore, invoke our powers under Article 142 of the Constitution of India and direct the ECI that, wherever the appellate tribunals are able to decide the appeals by April 21, 2026, or April 27, 2026, as the case may be, such appellate orders shall be given effect to by issuing a supplementary revised electoral roll and all necessary consequences with respect to the right to vote shall follow.

“However, it goes without saying that the mere pendency of appeals preferred by excluded persons before the appellate tribunals shall not entitle them to exercise their right to vote,” the bench had said in its April 13 order.

The court had declined to entertain a plea moved by a group of 13 people seeking its intervention in the deletion of their names from the voter list during the SIR of the electoral roll in West Bengal.

The top court had termed the petition “premature” and directed the aggrieved parties to approach the appellate tribunals instead.

The chief justice of the Calcutta High Court has set up 19 tribunals headed by former high court chief justices and judges to decide appeals against deletion or exclusion of names from the voters’ list.

(With PTI inputs)