New Delhi: View of the Supreme Court of India, in New Delhi, Monday, May 5, 2025. The Supreme Court on Monday said the pleas challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Act's constitutional validity will be taken up by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India-designate Justice B R Gavai on May 15. (PTI Photo/Kamal Kishore)(PTI05_05_2025_000098A)
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This live blog has been closedThe Supreme Court on Monday (April 6, 2026) disagreed with the West Bengal government which pleaded with the top court to wait for a few more days before freezing the electoral roll so that many of the over 20 lakh voters, who failed to convince judicial officers that there were no ‘logical discrepancies’ in their details provided under the special intensive revision (SIR) of the roll, get a chance to vote in the Assembly elections on April 23 and April 29.On the gheraoing of judicial officers in the State’s Malda district on April 1, the top court invoked powers under Article 142 of the Constitution and Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, heading a Bench, said the incident was not an emotional outburst, but a “well-planned, calculated and deeply instigated” move. The court directed the National Investigation Agency to take over the investigation in the case.The hearing began with senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for West Bengal, saying there were long, meandering queues of voters in the State who could not pass the verification by judicial officers and remained excluded from the electoral rolls.A final supplementary electoral roll, including the names of voters who have won their appeals, could be published on April 18, five days ahead of April 23, the first polling date.The apex court left it to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to form a committee, which would frame a procedure of functioning for the 19 tribunals. The Bench ordered the tribunals to become functional immediately.Krishnadas Rajagopal reports from the Supreme Court.April 06, 2026 18:24 Phone should not be so highly secure that even High Court Chief Justice is unable to access him: Justice BagchiThe Chief Justice of India tells the West Bengal Chief Secretary and DGP that a lack of communication by them had caused trouble. “Even the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court could not get in touch with the Chief Secretary when judicial officers were gheraoed by a mob. The Chief Secretary says his mobile phone is secure,” he says. Justice Bagchi said his phone should not be so highly secure that even the CJ of the HC is not able to access him. The CJI says the bureaucracy is so “pampered”.April 06, 2026 18:19 Custody of two people arrested by State police should be handed to NIA: Senior Advocate Siddharth LuthraSenior advocate Siddharth Luthra appears for the West Bengal Chief Secretary and the DGP. “Two people have been arrested by the State Police,” Mr. Luthra says.The Supreme Court records that persons arrested so far by the State police will be interrogated separately. Mr. Luthra says the two persons are in police custody. The Supreme Court directs that their custody be handed over to the NIA.April 06, 2026 17:45 Supreme Court directs NIA to take over investigationSC directs NIA to take over the investigation by exercising its plenary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, even though the offences listed in the registered FIRs do not constitute a scheduled offence. NIA can register further FIRs if they find “other dimensions”.The NIA is to continue to submit status reports in the Supreme Court from time to time. The investigative agency has submitted a preliminary status report today in sealed cover.The Supreme Court also directs the State Police to hand over case records forthwith.April 06, 2026 17:40 NIA has conducted preliminary inquiry: Additional Solicitor General S.V. RajuAdditional Solicitor General S.V. Raju for NIA says the agency has conducted a preliminary enquiry. “Three FIRs have been filed directly involving judicial officers. Nine other FIRs were filed for causing blockades in several places. 24 are accused. CDR analysis for 432 persons has been requisitioned. Let local police hand over the cases to the NIA. The Local police lodged FIRs.”Mr. Raju urges the Supreme Court to pass a specific order to shift the investigation in these cases to NIA.Mr. Raju also says that the offences in the FIRs are not part of the NIA-scheduled offences. Justice Bagchi asks whether even rioting is not a scheduled offence. The CJI says that the NIA must immediately take over the investigation.April 06, 2026 17:34 SC directs verified names to be included in supplementary list by tonightSupreme Court directs that the names of those verified are to be included in the supplementary list ‘by tonight’. The court posts the case on April 13.April 06, 2026 17:15 We are not closing this case today: Advocate D.S. NaiduSenior Advocate D.S. Naidu, for the Election Commission of India, says “We are not closing this case today.”Mr. Naidu hands over a tab to the Bench for the judges to watch the “rabble-rousing” against the central police forces sent to West Bengal.Senior Advocate Kalyan Banerjee tries to hand over a mobile phone to the Bench, saying he should hear a speech against the State Government.April 06, 2026 17:02 Peculiar circumstances of ‘logical discrepancy’ in West Bengal call for impartial verification of objections: Justice BagchiJustice Joyamalya Bagchi says that the peculiar circumstances of ‘logical discrepancy’ in West Bengal call for an impartial verification of objections. “Those who have cleared would be in the supplementary list. The others can file an appeal in the appellate tribunal, and we do not want to compress the appeal hearing. The hearing should be held in full in the appellate tribunals.”The Bench was responding to senior advocate Kapil Sibal’s oral plea for some “interim relief” for people excluded, though they were mapped.Senior Advocate D.S. Naidu, appearing for the Election Commission of India, says those who have been excluded have failed to convince the judicial officersAdvocate Shyam Divan asks how supplementary lists can be frozen without hearing the appeals.Senior Kalyan Banerjee says those who have been cleared by the tribunals before the polling phases of the Assembly elections should be included in the voter list. Mr. Divan says some supplementary lists would be necessary if the tribunals allow appeals.April 06, 2026 16:57 Pendency in courts rising in State because judicial officers were diverted for SIR: CJISenior advocate Shyam Divan, for the West Bengal Government, says the judicial officers deployed for SIR work have done a remarkable job. The CJI says the pendency in courts was rising in the State because the judicial officers were diverted for SIR.April 06, 2026 16:49 All documents, records should be placed before appellate tribunal: Justice J. Joymalya BagchiSolicitor General Tushar Mehta says that new documents should not be submitted in the appellate stage.Senior advocate Kalyan Bandhopadhyay, for TMC leaders, said the Election Commission had not given receipts for documents submitted in the objection stage.Justice J. Joymalya Bagchi said the SC has already said all the documents and records should be placed before the appellate tribunal. The appellant can seek those documents to build his/her case of appeal.April 06, 2026 16:47 26,000 objections from first phase of polling pending as of half an hour ago: ECIThe Election Commission of India (ECI) informs the Supreme Court that 26,000 objections from the first phase of polling were pending as of half an hour ago. They will be disposed of in a couple of hours. In the second phase, 20,000-25,000 objections are pending.“Appeals are ‘trickling’ in. Those filed online are getting acknowledgements/receipts. I will check physically,” Senior Advocate Dama Seshadiri Naidu for the ECI saysApril 06, 2026 16:44 Over 59.15 lakh out of over 60 lakh objections decided by judicial officers as of 12:04 p.m. today: Calcutta HC Chief JusticeChief Justice Calcutta High Court tells the Supreme Court that as of 12:04 p.m. on April 6, over 59.15 lakh out of over 60 lakh objections have been decided by the judicial officers in West Bengal SIR. Published - April 06, 2026 04:39 pm IST
