New Delhi, 27 February (H.S.):

The Supreme Court declined to entertain a petition challenging the Election Commission's training module for judicial officers involved in West Bengal's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Who will train them if not the Election Commission? the bench remarked, asserting trust in judicial impartiality and adherence to court-specified documents.

Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi emphasized that neither the poll panel nor the state could deviate from apex court directives, dismissing apprehensions as unwarranted.

Trinamool Congress counsel Kapil Sibal argued the ECI deemed domicile certificates invalid, prompting Justice Bagchi's retort that court orders would prevail. Sibal highlighted the module's issuance despite modalities assigned to Calcutta High Court oversight.

Prior Directives on Judicial DeploymentOn February 24, the court permitted deploying out-of-state civil judges with three years' experience from Jharkhand and Odisha, alongside Calcutta HC's additional civil judges, to resolve claims.

Earlier on February 20, it ordered state judicial officers for 'logical inconsistency' cases, requesting serving and retired district judges via Calcutta HC chief justice.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar