West Bengal SIR: Supreme Court to Hear All Related Matters on January 19
Supreme Court bench led by CJI Surya Kant to hear all West Bengal SIR-related cases on Monday after parties file their replies
The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that all matters related to the Special Intenstive Revision (SIR) violence cases in West Bengal will be taken up for hearing on Monday, January 19, after receiving responses from the parties concerned.
The Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi made the observation after a lawyer mentioned the matter before the court, citing a counter affidavit that reportedly confirmed at least six instances of violence in the state.
The counsel urged the Court to hear the plea today at 2 PM, alongside a similar case concerning Bihar.
However, the CJI clarified that the bench had already issued notice in a related petition mentioned by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal on Monday and that the Centre and the concerned parties had been given time till Friday to file their responses.
“We have already issued notice in a related matter mentioned yesterday. Time has been given till Friday for the reply. It will be coming up on Monday,” said the CJI.
He further added that the writ petition mentioned today could also be tagged and heard along with other pending West Bengal-related matters next week. “All matters of West Bengal will be taken up on Monday. Give your number, that will also be listed,” the CJI said.
On January 12, Sibal had submitted that “very weird procedures” were being followed in the state, pointing out that communications were allegedly being sent through WhatsApp during the revision process. He argued that the manner in which the SIR was being conducted revealed what he described as “illogical discrepancies”, and urged the court to take note of the same.
Last year, in December, ECI had told the Supreme Court that allegations of large-scale deletion of voters in West Bengal during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls are “highly exaggerated” and being pushed to serve “vested political interests.” In a counter-affidavit filed in response to a PIL by Trinamool Congress MP Dola Sen, the Commission had defended its June 24 and October 27 SIR orders as constitutionally authorised, long-established, and essential for maintaining the accuracy and integrity of electoral rolls. The ECI cited Article 324 of the Constitution and Sections 15, 21 and 23 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 to assert its power to conduct such revisions whenever necessary.
The affidavit had underscored that Special Intensive Revisions have been part of India’s electoral framework since the 1950s. The ECI pointed to past nationwide revisions in 1962–66, 1983–87, 1992–93, 2002 and 2004, noting that the present exercise is a continuation of the same constitutional mandate.
Responding to allegations that the SIR will disenfranchise genuine electors, the Commission had said the petition’s claims are “incorrect and denied in totality.” The ECI stressed that no voter can be removed without following due procedure and that the SIR guidelines themselves include safeguards to ensure inclusiveness and prevent wrongful deletions.
The affidavit had also revealed that 99.77 percent of existing electors in West Bengal have already been supplied pre-filled enumeration forms, and 70.14 percent of filled-in forms have been received. These figures, the Commission said, show that allegations of widespread errors or mass disenfranchisement “are highly exaggerated.”
The ECI had reiterated that Booth Level Officers are required to make repeated visits and leave notices when houses are locked, and that they are prohibited from collecting any documents from electors; an additional safeguard introduced in the October 27 Phase-II SIR order. Electors temporarily away from home can have forms submitted by family members or can file online through the ECI portal or mobile app.
The Commission said officials have been specifically directed to ensure elderly persons, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable electors are given all necessary assistance.
The West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC), TMC MPs Dola Sen and Mala Roy had also approached the Supreme Court seeking relief against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
During a brief hearing, the counsel for the WBPCC had submitted that several citizens had approached the party raising concerns about the conduct of the SIR exercise, prompting the move to seek judicial intervention.
Bench: CJI Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi, and Vipul M Pancholi
Mentioning Date: January 13, 2026