SC Orders Judicial Oversight In Bengal SIR

Top court cites trust deficit between state government and Election Commission

February 20, 2026: The Supreme Court of India on Friday directed that judicial officers be appointed to oversee the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in West Bengal, pointing to a breakdown of trust between the state government and the Election Commission of India. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi asked the Calcutta High Court to appoint officers of “impeccable integrity” to decide on claims and objections arising from the SIR exercise. The court specified that the officers must be of the rank of District Judge or Additional District Judge.

During the February 20 hearing, sharp exchanges took place between the state and the Commission. Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the West Bengal government, alleged that the EC had created a new category of “Special Roll Officers” placed above Electoral Registration Officers. Responding to the submissions, the Chief Justice observed that the court might even consider requesting judicial officers with clean records or IAS officers from another cadre to ensure fairness in the process.

Appearing for the Commission, senior advocate D.M. Nair told the bench that the state had failed to provide suitable officers despite earlier directions. The court had previously asked the government to make Class II officers available for the SIR exercise and expressed disappointment over non-compliance. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal also flagged concerns about document uploads after the verification deadline was extended. The bench said it would seek clarification from the Commission on compliance, noting that limited time remained in the ongoing revision process.