# Fourth of 19 judges quits Bengal's SIR appeal tribunals as Murshidabad appeals stall

URL: https://upsc.help/current-affairs/2026-11-08/bengal-sir-tribunal-fourth-resignation/
Date: 8 November 2026 (2026-11-08)
Source: The Hindu, News
UPSC papers: GS2
Publisher: upsc.help (Pratidin), free and open-source UPSC Civil Services current affairs. Not affiliated with UPSC. Every fact was checked against the source reports by a separate review before publishing.

**In one line:** A fourth retired judge has quit the 19 appellate tribunals hearing appeals against West Bengal's SIR deletions, leaving Murshidabad's appeals stalled.

Retired Calcutta High Court judge Biswajit Basu has resigned from the appellate tribunals hearing appeals against deletions in West Bengal's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, citing personal reasons. He wrote to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court on Friday, 6 November 2026, and the resignation was reported on 7 November. He is the fourth of the 19 retired judges heading the tribunals to step down, after former Calcutta High Court Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and retired judges Ranjit Kumar Bag and Indrajit Chatterjee. Chatterjee had cited the strain of a daily commute of about 22 km and said he had expected the job to last two to three months.

Basu and Chatterjee were both hearing appeals from Murshidabad district, where many voters were excluded. An Election Commission official said that with both judges gone within a month, disposal of Murshidabad appeals has 'effectively come to a standstill'. Basu himself said, 'Resolving lakhs of cases in this manner is a little difficult', and stressed the need for better tribunal infrastructure. The SIR in West Bengal led to the deletion of nearly 91 lakh voters from the rolls, for reasons that included 'logical discrepancies'. On 11 August 2026, a Supreme Court Bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant had already asked the Election Commission for details of appeals decided and pending, with Justice Joymalya Bagchi remarking that 'just filing an appeal is not enough'.

The tribunals are a court-made remedy. Under Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, appeals against an Electoral Registration Officer's orders normally go to a district magistrate or similar officer, and then to the Chief Electoral Officer, all within the executive. In West Bengal, claims and objections were instead decided by judicial officers. On 10 March 2026, noting the absence of an independent appellate mechanism, the Supreme Court directed that appellate tribunals of former Chief Justices and former High Court judges be formed on the recommendation of the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice, with the Election Commission notifying them and bearing the cost. The EC set up 19 tribunals in March. Each resignation now tests whether the right to appeal can be made real for lakhs of excluded voters.

## Prelims facts

- Retired judge Biswajit Basu is the fourth of 19 retired judges to quit the West Bengal SIR appellate tribunals.
- The West Bengal SIR deleted nearly 91 lakh voters from the electoral rolls.
- On 10 March 2026, the Supreme Court ordered appellate tribunals of former High Court judges for SIR exclusions in West Bengal; the EC notified 19 tribunals in March.
- Under Section 24 of the RPA, 1950, appeals against an Electoral Registration Officer's orders go to a district magistrate or equivalent, and then to the Chief Electoral Officer.
- In West Bengal, SIR claims and objections were decided by judicial officers drawn from West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand.

## Quick recall

- **Who is the latest judge to resign from Bengal's SIR tribunals?** Retired Calcutta High Court judge Biswajit Basu, the fourth of 19.
- **How many voters were deleted in West Bengal's SIR?** Nearly 91 lakh.
- **When did the Supreme Court order SIR appellate tribunals for West Bengal?** 10 March 2026.
- **How many appellate tribunals did the EC notify for West Bengal?** 19.
- **Who bears the cost of the SIR appellate tribunals?** The Election Commission of India.
- **Under Section 24 of the RPA, 1950, who hears the second appeal?** The Chief Electoral Officer of the State.
- **Which district's appeals have stalled after two resignations?** Murshidabad.
- **Who decided SIR claims and objections in West Bengal?** Judicial officers from West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand.

## Prelims practice question

Under Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, a second appeal against an order relating to the electoral roll lies to the:

(a) Election Commission of India
(b) Chief Electoral Officer of the State
(c) High Court of the State
(d) Delimitation Commission

Answer: (b) Chief Electoral Officer of the State. Section 24(a) provides a first appeal from the Electoral Registration Officer's order (under Sections 22 or 23) to a district magistrate, additional district magistrate, executive magistrate, district collector or equivalent officer. Section 24(b) provides a second appeal from that order to the Chief Electoral Officer.

## UPSC previous-year questions this connects to

- UPSC Mains 2026, GS2: Is the right to vote a fundamental right? Discuss the position of the Election Commission of India while undertaking the revision of electoral rolls. Can it also examine the question of citizenship of the voters? (https://upsc.help/pyq/q000-right-vote-fundamental-right-position-election-commission/)
  How to use this story in the answer: Use West Bengal's SIR to show that the EC's roll revision power is subject to judicial oversight and an independent appeal for excluded voters.
- UPSC Mains 2018, GS2: How far do you agree with the view that tribunals curtail the jurisdiction of ordinary courts? In view of the above, discuss the constitutional validity and competency of the tribunals in India. (https://upsc.help/pyq/q288-far-do-you-agree-view-tribunals-curtail/)
  How to use this story in the answer: Cite the SIR tribunals as a case where a tribunal expanded access to justice, but whose competence depends on staffing.
- UPSC Prelims 2017, Prelims: Consider the following statements: 1. The Election Commission of India is a five-member body. 2. Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and bye-elections. 3. Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognised political parties. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 3 only (https://upsc.help/pyq/q004-consider-following-statements-1-election-commission-india/)

## Mains practice question

The right to appeal against deletion from the electoral roll is only as good as the forum that hears it. Discuss with reference to the appellate tribunals set up for West Bengal's Special Intensive Revision. (150 words)

### Model answer

The right to vote depends on a name being on the roll, so a fair and quick appeal against wrongful deletion is essential. West Bengal's SIR deleted nearly 91 lakh voters, and the forum for their appeals is now under strain.

## Why a special forum was needed
- Under Section 24 of the RPA, 1950, appeals lie to a district magistrate and then the Chief Electoral Officer, both executive officers.
- On 10 March 2026, the Supreme Court found no independent appellate mechanism and ordered tribunals of former High Court judges; the EC notified 19.

## Problems now visible
- Four of 19 judges have resigned, including Biswajit Basu on 6 November 2026.
- Murshidabad appeals have 'effectively come to a standstill'.
- Judges cite workload, travel and weak infrastructure.

## Way forward
- Fill vacancies quickly and provide staff and digital case management.
- Publish disposal data, as the Supreme Court sought in August 2026.

A remedy that cannot be heard in time is no remedy for an excluded voter.

## The basics

## Why this matters
An electoral roll decides who can vote. When a revision removes names on a large scale, the fairness of the appeal process becomes a question of fundamental democratic rights. West Bengal's SIR shows how the law's normal appeal route was replaced by a court-designed one, and how that route is now straining.

## The normal route under the law
The Election Commission controls the preparation of electoral rolls under Article 324 of the Constitution. The detailed rules are in the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Under Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, appeals stay inside the executive.

## What was different in West Bengal
In West Bengal, the Supreme Court had Judicial officers in the Bengal SIR decide claims and objections. Since their orders could not go to an executive forum, the Court created SIR appellate tribunals in West Bengal headed by retired judges.

## The strain

The tribunals face lakhs of appeals arising from nearly 91 lakh deletions. Judges have cited workload, long commutes and poor infrastructure. In August 2026 the Supreme Court asked the Election Commission of India for data on appeals decided and pending, saying filing an appeal is not enough.

## How to use this in Mains
Use it for questions on the right to vote, the EC's powers in revising rolls, and tribunals. The point to make: a remedy must be accessible and timely. Independence from the executive, which the tribunals provide, is valuable only if they have the judges and staff to decide cases.

## Sources

- https://thefederal.com/category/states/east/west-bengal/fourth-judge-quits-bengal-sir-tribunal-deepening-backlog-concerns-262168
- https://english.varthabharati.in/india/fourth-judge-out-of-19-retired-judges-resigns-from-bengal-sir-tribunals-2289090
- https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/west-bengal-sir-supreme-court-directs-to-form-appellate-tribunals-of-ex-hc-judges-for-appeals-against-exclusions-525804
- https://www.newsonair.gov.in/eci-sets-up-19-appellate-tribunals-in-west-bengal-for-voter-roll-appeals
- https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/sc-asks-ec-to-give-details-of-pleas-decided-by-tribunals-on-west-bengal-sir-deletions
- https://lawgist.in/representation-of-the-people-act-1950/24