Supreme Court On Recurring West Bengal SIR Issues: "Should Have Made Separate Bench"
Allegedly, Form 6 is being misused in West Bengal for enrolling new voters, to bring in outsiders as fake voters into state's electoral rolls.
CJI Surya Kant's bench heard a mentioning pertaining to enrollment of new voters during the West Bengal SIR.
The Supreme Court today expressed that it should have constituted a separate bench to hear the issues pertaining to Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls in the state of West Bengal.
A CJI Surya Kant led bench said, "We should have constituted a separate bench for this". This remark was made by the bench after a mentioning was made by Senior Advocate Menaka Guruswamy.
Guruswamy flagged the issue of mass enrollment of fresh voters in the state of West Bengal. "Form 6 used only in West Bengal to add new voters..About 5-7 lakh new voters have been added by ECI," the senior lawyer told the bench also comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi.
CJI in response said, "File a petition, when something is challenged we will see..".
Notably, on April 1, the Supreme Court had refused to entertain the allegations made before it over submission of 30,000 Form 6 applications during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls in the state of West Bengal.
Senior Advocate Kalyan Bandopadhyay had then told a bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul Pancholi that in one case, a person had submitted 30,000 Form 6 applications. Form 6 is applied for inclusion in electoral roll for the first time or for changing the constituency following shifting of residence. "Recent ECI notification allows Form 6.. but Form 6 cannot be allowed when adjudication is going on...now bundles of form 6 coming... I am not blaming any political parties," the senior counsel had stated.
"Happens every time, not the first time. You can raise objections," CJI Kant had said in response.
Reportedly, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to the Chief Election Commissioner levelling serious charges of misuse of Form 6, for enrolling new voters, to bring in outsiders as fake voters into West Bengal's electoral rolls.
Recently, Supreme Court had expressed its concerns over continuous impediments coming in the way of the special intensive revision of electoral rolls being conducted in the state of West Bengal by the Election Commission of India. "I was reading an article on SIR. Except West Bengal, everywhere it has happened smoothly...The article mentioned this", CJI Kant said while hearing fresh issues flagged by the state.
Earlier court had also warned the West Bengal government that it should not make excuses to stall the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. On February 20, the court had directed for judicial officers to assist in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls in West Bengal. Court reiterated that the SIR process should go on smoothly without any hindrances.
Court had recently also sent a strong signal backing the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, while firmly cautioning the state government against any obstruction in the process. CJI Surya Kant had then made it clear that the court would not permit impediments to the SIR exercise, which is currently underway in the state ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. “Whatever orders or clarifications are required, we will issue. But we will not allow any impediment to the SIR process. This must be understood,” the Chief Justice had said.
Bench: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi
Mentioning Date: April 20, 2026