'Our orders are as clear as daylight': Supreme Court refuses to entertain West Bengal's objection to training module for judicial officers on SIR

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday expressed its displeasure over objections raised by West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress to the Election Commission imparting training to judicial officers deployed for claims verification in the SIR process.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said it cannot entertain everyday objections to the ongoing process in West Bengal and that petitioners must refrain from making excuses to stall the exercise and that "there has to be an end to it."

The court said that the poll panel’s training module cannot override its orders, and that judicial officers must be trusted.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, on behalf of the petitioner, said they issued directions to the judicial officers and issued a training module stating what they should accept and what not.

On this, the bench asked, "How does it matter? Judicial officers will take a call".

Sibal said that the EC gave them directions about what certificate to accept and what not to accept without referring to the Chief Justice.

"Do not doubt the judicial officers," the bench told him.

Sibal said it is a training module for judicial officers issued by the EC but the February 20 order said the Chief Justice will decide.

The bench said the judicial officer will decide.

The bench said the Chief Justice will decide the modalities and modalities mean the arrangements for this entire process that has to be undertaken.

"Please do not make little excuses and stall everything….we can't hear like this. Every day... there has to be an end to it. We went beyond our imagination. There has to be an end (to it)," the bench told Sibal, who insisted that there should be fairness in the system.

The court emphasized judicial officers are not to be influenced by anything.

"Mr Sibal, you argue case before us. They (EC) argue its case before us. Decision we take," the bench said.

Sibal still urged the bench to say that the judicial officers are not bound by these instructions.

Senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee said, in Kolkata, the judicial officers are being given training by the EC.

"Who else will give the training," the bench asked, saying they are being trained by the EC to understand the modalities of document verification.

"We have made it very clear what documents are to be looked into. Our orders are as clear as daylight," the bench said.

Sibal said he does not want to muddy the waters by bringing irrelevant issues and asked the bench to allow him to explain the issue, adding, "They are saying domicile certificate issued by SDO should not be accepted".

The bench said if the EC's SIR notification and the supplementary orders passed by the court include such a certificate, it will be looked into, and if not, it will not be looked into.

The court said both the petitioners and the EC must ensure a congenial atmosphere for the judges to work.

"Ask the chief secretary to work in tandem with judicial officers and as well as the special observer," the bench told the counsel.

The court also asked the counsel not to carry any apprehension and let them do their work.