Kolkata, February 24 The Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court ordered the cancellation of leave for all civil judges in various courts of West Bengal until further orders, to ensure compliance with the directions issued by the Supreme Court for the completion of the electoral roll revision (SIR) in the state.
A notification by the Registrar General of the high court stated that all judicial officers, posted as civil judge (senior division), chief judicial magistrate, additional chief judicial magistrate, and civil judge (junior division) and judicial magistrate, are prohibited from taking any leave of absence with immediate effect, except in cases of medical emergency.
Chief Justice Sujoy Paul directed that, in view of an order passed by the Supreme Court on Tuesday, all judicial officers of these ranks who are on leave must join their respective courts and offices by February 25.
It was further directed that all judicial officers of these ranks who are under transfer orders but have not yet taken over their court and office will be deemed relieved from their present posting, effective February 25, and must join their respective new assignments by this date.
The top court on Tuesday permitted the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice to deploy civil judges and also requisition judicial officers from neighboring Jharkhand and Odisha to deal with the 80 lakh claims and objections in the ongoing electoral roll revision (SIR) in West Bengal.
The apex court took note of a letter by Chief Justice Paul that said that the 250 district judges deployed in the SIR exercise would take approximately 80 days to deal with the claims and objections.
Taking note of the grim situation and the time constraints, the Supreme Court permitted the deployment of civil judges to conduct the process.
