The SC bench said it is commencing hearing on a batch of petitions challenging the June 24 order of the poll panel on August 12 and the NGO can make these averments on that day

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to furnish, by August 9, the details of roughly 65 lakh electors omitted from the draft electoral rolls published on August 1 for poll-bound Bihar. A three-judge bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan, and N. Kotiswar Singh instructed the ECI to share with political parties, and provide to the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), the list of deleted voters along with the reasons for each deletion, whether due to death, permanent migration, or other causes.

ADR, which has challenged the ECI’s June 24 order calling for a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s rolls, had filed an application seeking exactly this information. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for ADR, noted that while some parties had received lists of deleted names, they lacked clarity on the specific grounds for deletion. The Court replied that it would review all affected voters and asked the ECI to file its response by Saturday, so that Bhushan could examine it before the next hearing.

The bench will commence detailed arguments on a batch of over 75 petitions challenging the SIR exercise on August 12 and 13. It confirmed that its earlier interim orders, restraining the Centre from removing any officers involved until final disposal, remain in force. The ECI’s draft rolls, which add up to 72.4 million names but strike out more than 6.5 million, will be finalised on September 30 after the claims-and-objections period ends on September 1.