Bengal SIR: Judicial adjudication of ‘logical discrepancy’ cases begins today

The judicial adjudication of voters’ documents flagged under the “logical discrepancy” category is set to commence on Monday, following directions issued by the Supreme Court last week. The process, expected to begin after 11 am, will determine the fate of lakhs of voter records, with the apex court making it clear that the decisions of the designated judicial officers will be final.

The adjudication drive will initially involve 150 session judges appointed by the Calcutta High Court. In total, around 250 judicial officers have been assigned to the exercise across West Bengal. The process will be overseen at the district level by three-member supervisory committees constituted under the high court’s directions.

Each district-level panel will comprise the district judge, the district magistrate — who also serves as the district electoral officer — and the district superintendent of police concerned, ensuring administrative and security coordination during the sensitive verification process.

Of the 250 officers deployed, nearly 100 are currently presiding over courts under the NDPS and POCSO Acts, while the remaining are session judges from other courts. The scale of deployment underscores the magnitude of the task, with roughly 50 lakh documents referred for judicial scrutiny.

At a meeting held in Kolkata on Sunday between the appointed judicial officers and representatives of the Election Commission of India (ECI), detailed procedural guidelines were laid out. Officers were informed that they would accept only the 13 identity documents specified by the ECI for verifying voters placed in the “logical discrepancy” category.

This clarification carries political significance, as the ruling All India Trinamool Congress had objected to the restriction, arguing that additional identity documents issued by various state government agencies should also be considered.

According to officials, the final electoral roll for West Bengal is scheduled to be published on 28 February, excluding cases referred for judicial adjudication. Supplementary rolls will be issued after the adjudication process is completed. ECI sources indicated that efforts are underway to conclude the exercise by 28 February itself to facilitate the early publication of supplementary lists.

However, given the sheer volume of documents under review, questions remain over whether the deadline can realistically be met.

In a related development, the Calcutta High Court has cancelled the leave of all judicial officers in the state until 9 March, directing those currently on leave to report back by Monday. The order exempts only those on emergency medical leave, further underscoring the urgency attached to completing the adjudication process within the stipulated timeframe.

With IANS inputs