Kolkata: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) appellate tribunal process in West Bengal has faced another setback after retired Calcutta High Court judge Justice Biswajit Basu resigned from the tribunal, citing personal reasons.

According to a reliable source, Justice Basu submitted his resignation through a letter to the Calcutta High Court judge on Friday. He is the fourth retired judge among the 19 appointed to head SIR appellate tribunals in the state to step down.

Earlier, former Calcutta High Court judges Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, Justice Ranjit Kumar Bag and Justice Indrajit Chatterjee had also resigned from their respective tribunal responsibilities.

Supreme Court Directions Led to Formation of 19 Tribunals

Following directions from the Supreme Court, the Election Commission established 19 appellate tribunals in West Bengal in March to hear appeals related to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

During the SIR exercise, approximately 91 lakh voters in the state were excluded from electoral rolls for various reasons, including logical discrepancies. The tribunals are currently hearing appeals filed by lakhs of affected voters seeking restoration of their names.

Murshidabad Appeals Face Fresh Uncertainty

Justice Basu and Justice Chatterjee had been assigned responsibility for handling voter appeals from Murshidabad district, where a large number of voters were excluded from the electoral rolls.

With both judges stepping down within a month, the disposal of appeals in Murshidabad has reportedly come to a halt, raising concerns over the tribunal's ability to process pending cases.

An Election Commission official reportedly warned that the resignations could affect the resolution of appeals in the district and further complicate the ongoing SIR process.

Judges Cite Personal Reasons and Workload Concerns

Justice Chatterjee had reportedly resigned citing difficulties associated with daily commuting of around 22 kilometres. He had initially expected the tribunal assignment to last only two to three months but later found the process considerably prolonged due to the large volume of cases.

Justice Bag and Justice Sivagnanam had also stepped down citing personal and family-related reasons.

Justice Basu's resignation has now added to the uncertainty surrounding the SIR appellate mechanism in West Bengal, particularly at a time when thousands of voters are awaiting decisions on their appeals.