West Bengal elections: After TOI report, SC prod on Nandalal kin SIR plea

KOLKATA: The Supreme Court on Monday requested the SIR appellate tribunal to hear painter Nandalal Bose's maternal grandson Suprabuddha Sen's appeal challenging the deletion of his name from the electoral roll expeditiously.

The names of Bose's grandson and granddaughter-in-law Deepa, 82, were struck off from the electoral roll despite submitting relevant documents, including educational certificates and passports.




The three-judge bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi was hearing a series of cases filed against the way the SIR process was being conducted in Bengal. Amid the slew of petitions was an interlocutory application (IA) by Sen.

During the hearing, advocate Menaka Guruswamy, appearing for the state, interjected in the hearing to state that the name of Bose's grandson, whose family has been living generationally in Santiniketan, has been struck off the electoral roll. "We would not have any illustrations in the Constitution if not for his grandfather," Menaka told the bench. Later, the bench was informed by Bose's grandson that they had already filed an appeal before the tribunal.

"I have already filed an appeal with the tribunal on Monday morning. As a second line of defence, I had earlier submitted an application as a new voter. From my side, I have done everything I could. Now, I have no option but to wait. I feel like I'm stuck in a whirlwind. There is nothing else to do. Whatever was meant to happen, happened," Sen told TOI on Monday.

He added that he has appealed before the tribunal for himself, his wife and his caretaker, whose names have also been deleted.

Sen had earlier said: "I am 88 years old and I don't care. The person who deleted our names will be able to answer why the names were removed. I can only say that we are not someone whose names should have been deleted." Similarly, his wife also submitted all the pertinent documents that they have asked for, but still her name has been removed from the voter lists.

Senior advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu, representing Election Commission, assured the bench that all necessary assistance will be provided to the tribunal in deciding the appeal.

There are many like Bose's grandson, senior advocate Kapil Sibal remarked. Their plea was that the deadline of freezing of the electoral roll may be extended to April 15 so that appeals which get disposed of after April 6 (for phase one) and April 9 (for phase two) be considered. Naidu argued: "Judicial officers have examined. Then whoever is aggrieved is filing appeals. They do take time. It is them who failed to convince the judicial officer."

After much debate on the tribunal and appeals, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, taking forward Guruswamy's reference to Santiniketan, cited Tagore and remarked: "Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection... It may not always be."