Supreme Court Empowers Calcutta High Court for Voter Roll Verification
In a significant move, the Supreme Court has granted the Calcutta High Court the authority to appoint experienced civil judges to assist in verifying over 5 million objections on voter rolls. This decision comes as the court aims to ensure adequate judicial resources ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal. The Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court can also seek help from judicial officers in Jharkhand and Odisha to expedite the verification process. The Election Commission of India will cover all related expenses, emphasizing the urgency of addressing these objections in a timely manner.
| Feb 24, 2026, 14:06 IST
Supreme Court's Directive for Judicial Support
The Supreme Court has authorized the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to appoint civil judges with a minimum of three years of experience. This decision aims to ensure adequate judicial manpower for verifying objections under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter rolls in West Bengal. The directive was issued by a bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud after the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court reported a shortage of officials to verify over 5 million objections categorized under 'logical discrepancy' within the existing timeframe.
Judicial Officer Deployment and Resource Allocation
The High Court indicated that completing the verification process would require around 80 days with 250 judicial officers. The Supreme Court clarified that, in addition to the already assigned officers, the Calcutta High Court could deploy civil judges with three years of experience. If further resources are necessary, the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court may request current or retired judicial officers from Jharkhand and Odisha. The Election Commission of India will cover expenses related to travel, accommodation, and honorarium.
Collaboration with Other High Courts
The Supreme Court stated that if the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court deems additional human resources necessary, he can reach out to the Chief Justices of Odisha and Jharkhand for assistance from their current and former judicial officers to handle pending work. In such cases, the Election Commission of India will bear the costs of travel, lodging, salaries, and other expenses. The Chief Justices of Odisha and Jharkhand are requested to consider any requests from the Calcutta Chief Justice. The goal of increasing judicial manpower is to ensure timely and thorough verification of objections on the voter rolls ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal.