Former Calcutta High Court Chief Justice T. S. Sivagnanam disposed of 1,777 appeals before stepping down from SIR appellate tribunal

PTI, May 10, 2026, Kolkata : Former Calcutta High Court Chief Justice T. S. Sivagnanam, who resigned from the tribunal hearing appeals challenging the exclusion of names from the electoral rolls following the SIR exercise in West Bengal, had disposed of 1,777 appeals related to the deletion of names during a 22-day period, official sources said on Sunday.

According to information available with the office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), the former judge cleared 1,717 appeals filed by voters whose names were deleted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

He also dismissed 60 appeals moved by the Election Commission against fresh inclusions in Birbhum district, they said.

Justice Sivagnanam was one of 19 former judges appointed by the Election Commission on the direction of the Supreme Court to hear appeals arising from decisions of judicial officers regarding the deletion of names from the electoral rolls.

Election Commission officials said the retired judge handled cases from constituencies in Kolkata and North 24 Parganas after being appointed under a March 20 notification.

He later heard matters from Malda, Murshidabad, and Birbhum as well, following directions of the Supreme Court in connection with specific petitions.

“His tribunal disposed of 1,777 appeals within a short span. The process was conducted in accordance with the legal framework laid down for the revision exercise,” a senior Election Commission official said.

Data available a day before completion of polling in the state showed that 1,607 persons whose names had been deleted were ultimately restored to the electoral rolls after their appeals were allowed by various tribunals.

The figures relating to Justice Sivagnanam's tribunal have now triggered questions in political and legal circles over the total number of appeals cleared by the remaining 18 tribunals and whether more voters could have been reinstated before polling concluded.

An EC official, however, maintained that appellate proceedings continued simultaneously across districts and additions to the rolls were made after scrutiny of supporting documents.

“The tribunals were independent adjudicatory bodies. Wherever documentary proof was found satisfactory, names were restored in keeping with the rules,” the official said.

Justice Sivagnanam also heard, on Supreme Court directions, the appeal of Congress leader Motab Shaikh, whose name had been deleted from the electoral rolls ahead of the polls. Following the tribunal's order restoring his name after examining supporting documents, Shaikh was able to contest the election from Farakka, which he later won.

Sources in the state CEO's office said Justice Sivagnanam stepped down from the tribunal on Thursday “primarily due to personal reasons”.