New Delhi, Aug 7 The Supreme Court on Friday asked Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court Tapabrata Chakraborty to consider the request for security cover to Justice Ananya Kanti Roy Saraswati, who heads an appellate tribunal to hear SIR-related grievances in West Bengal.
On March 10, the top court had ordered the setting up of independent appellate tribunals headed by former high court judges to hear appeals against exclusions from voter lists during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
Justice Saraswati, who heads one such tribunal, moved the top court for grant of security citing the sensitive nature of the role.
"We request the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to look into the matter and take such necessary steps as may be required," a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said.
Besides setting up appellate tribunals, the top court had allowed deployment of trial court judges of West Bengal, Orissa and Jharkhand to deal with the SIR-related complaints.
The SIR exercise in West Bengal was held under the court's supervision amid allegations of irregularities and a "trust deficit" between the then state government and the Election Commission.
