Justice Bagchi Raises Doubts on ECI Software in Bengal SIR Case

In the West Bengal SIR case, Supreme Court judge Justice Joymalya Bagchi on Tuesday raised serious concerns over the software used by the Election Commission of India (ECI), observing that it is triggering notices to voters over minor and natural variations in names. Justice Bagchi pointed out the Election Commission’s software issued notices to many voters solely due to the omission of the middle name “Kumar,” which is commonly used in Bengali households. He noted that surnames in Bengal often have multiple accepted forms, such as Roy and Ray, and said the software appeared too rigid to accommodate such natural differences.

“The tools applied in the software seem extremely restrictive and are eliminating normal variations,” Justice Bagchi said, warning that while some discrepancies may appear logical, the design of the software could be casting an unnecessarily wide net and leading to excessive issuance of notices.

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Justice Joymalya Bagchi raises concerns over ECI’s restrictive software in West Bengal SIR case

The judge also questioned the parameters used to flag age-related discrepancies in family data. Referring to a 50-year age gap for grandparents, Justice Bagchi said such a difference could be logical, but asked whether a fixed 50-year window was appropriate. He observed that while issuing notices in cases involving large families might be justified, the system was even flagging households with five or six children, which raised concerns about policy overreach.

When senior advocate DS Naidu, appearing for the ECI, argued that the Commission was not questioning voters properly mapped to the 2002 electoral roll, Justice Bagchi disagreed and said that authorities were issuing notices even to mapped voters.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice NV Anjaria heard the matter and extended the deadline for scrutiny of documents and objections beyond February 14. While issuing multiple directions, the bench clarified that the Court may pass necessary orders from time to time but will not allow the SIR process in any state to be obstructed.

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