📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Frederick Noronha fredericknoronha1@gmail.com fro
Politics
Bombay HC Goa Bench Criticises EC Over Removal of Voters, Questions SIR Purpose
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 06 Oct 2026, 05:47 PM
👁 22
The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court has slammed the Election Commission for removing voters from the electoral rolls, questioning the relevance of the State Information Report (SIR) in the process.
The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court delivered a sharp rebuke to the Election Commission of India (EC) over its recent decision to delete a number of voters from the electoral rolls. In a written judgment, the bench questioned the very purpose of the State Information Report (SIR) that the EC cited as the basis for these removals.
The court highlighted that the removal of citizens without clear evidence or adequate notice undermines the democratic process and erodes public trust in electoral administration. It pointed out that the SIR, intended to provide transparency, is being used to justify the deletion of eligible voters.
The bench urged the EC to reassess its methodology and to ensure that any removal of voters is backed by verifiable data and follows due process. It also called for greater transparency in the SIR’s compilation and publication.
The decision comes at a time when voter disenfranchisement has become a contentious issue. The court’s remarks are likely to prompt a review of the EC’s procedures and could have implications for upcoming elections in the state.
The court highlighted that the removal of citizens without clear evidence or adequate notice undermines the democratic process and erodes public trust in electoral administration. It pointed out that the SIR, intended to provide transparency, is being used to justify the deletion of eligible voters.
The bench urged the EC to reassess its methodology and to ensure that any removal of voters is backed by verifiable data and follows due process. It also called for greater transparency in the SIR’s compilation and publication.
The decision comes at a time when voter disenfranchisement has become a contentious issue. The court’s remarks are likely to prompt a review of the EC’s procedures and could have implications for upcoming elections in the state.