Overview
- A bench led by CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi reserved judgment on challenges to the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls across multiple states.
- For Tamil Nadu, the Court directed the ECI to publicly display names flagged for ‘logical discrepancies’ with brief reasons and to allow a 10‑day period for submissions in person or via authorised representatives to Booth‑Level Officers.
- District collectors must deploy adequate staff and police must ensure order at designated venues, with officials certifying receipt of documents and any hearing held.
- The bench noted about 1.16 crore voters in Tamil Nadu received discrepancy notices and said it expects the ECI to follow the same procedure wherever the SIR is underway.
- Petitioners allege the SIR functions like an NRC‑style exercise that shifts the burden of proof onto voters, citing large exclusions such as 65 lakh removals in Bihar and 97.3 lakh in Tamil Nadu’s draft rolls, while the Court also observed Aadhaar should not be rejected solely over forgery concerns.