Judicial Panel in Bengal Sees Member After Member Quit

The Special Intensive Revision tribunal in West Bengal has witnessed a rapid turnover of its judicial members, with former Calcutta High Court judge Biswajit Basu becoming the fourth official to resign from the post. Basu cited personal reasons in his formal letter to Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Raviendraraghavan Ghuage, bringing his participation in the voter-list review process to a close.

His resignation follows a troubling trend within the nineteen-member panel. Former judge Indrajit Chatterjee had previously stepped down, highlighting the daily twenty-two kilometer commute and the unrealistic expectation that the tribunal would conclude its operations within two to three months. The actual backlog of pending cases quickly dispelled those initial timelines. Another member, former justice Ranjit Kumar Bagh, also resigned citing personal constraints, while former Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam departed due to family responsibilities.

The core mandate of the tribunal remains unchanged despite the staffing losses. It continues to adjudicate claims from individuals seeking restoration to the electoral rolls after being removed during the intensive revision exercise. Election officials maintain that supplementary voter lists will be issued incrementally as these judicial determinations are finalized, ensuring that qualified citizens are not permanently barred from voting.