Draft SIR absence isn't deletion: ECI to Bombay HC

Panaji: The Bombay High Court has reserved its verdict on a petition filed by a Goa resident regarding the alleged deletion of names from the draft SIR (Special Intensive Revision) electoral roll. The Election Commission of India (ECI) clarified to the court that the absence of a voter's name from the draft SIR roll does not equate to deletion.

A Special Intensive Revision is a fresh preparation of the electoral roll, while a Special Summery Revision only updates the existing roll. The petitioner, Paresh Salgaonkar, along with six members of his family, claimed that their names were removed during the SIR. The court acknowledged that the petitioner had not resided at the address listed in the pre-SIR rolls for several years and had not applied to change their address prior to the SIR process.