The Supreme Court is actively monitoring the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar. During a hearing on Tuesday, the court indicated its intention to intervene if warranted. The justices emphasized that intervention would occur if a substantial number of names were removed during the process. Further hearings on this issue have been scheduled for August 12 and 13.
The court is considering several petitions that challenge the SIR process. The bench, led by Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, has instructed all petitioners contesting the Election Commission’s actions to submit their written arguments by August 8th.
Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioners, raised concerns about the exclusion of individuals from the draft list slated for publication by the Election Commission on August 1st. They argued that this could disenfranchise voters.
The bench affirmed the Election Commission’s constitutional status and obligation to operate within the law. It also offered recourse to petitioners if irregularities emerged, allowing them to bring issues to the court. The court specifically requested details on 15 individuals claimed to be alive despite being listed as deceased, stating it would address the claim.