500 judges perform SIR duties, Bangladesh courts are piling up cases

KOLKATA: More than 500 judicial officers (judges of lower courts) from across Bengal are involved in adjudicating suspicious cases flagged on the electoral roll released in February, significantly slowing down the processing of cases in the state’s courts.In 2025, the overall “clearance rate” of cases in Bangladesh’s lower courts was 62%. In March this year, the monthly case closure rate was only 42%. According to the “Virtual Judicial Clock” of the region’s judicial department, a total of 90,685 cases were filed across the state in March, of which 38,527 were closed.Kolkata’s disposal rate in March was even lower at 39%. The city’s lower courts filed a total of 42,687 cases and closed 16,717 cases. West Burdwan has the lowest rate at 19%.February 20, Monday Supreme Court A bench headed by CJI Surya Kant decided to entrust judicial officials with the “extraordinary” responsibility of scanning the files of around 60 lakh people who are under trial during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls and deciding whether their voting rights can be restored.The judge directed “an interim arrangement for the transfer of interim relief or matters of an urgent nature to other courts for a period of one week or ten days during which the entire process is scheduled to be completed”.However, the trial has lasted for more than a month. Judiciary officials now face deadlines of April 6 and 9 for the two-phase parliamentary polls scheduled for April 23 and 29.Special public prosecutor Bivas Chatterjee said the involvement of so many judicial officers in SIR duties was hampering rape, murder and Pocso cases and bail application hearings. “A fast-track court judge has now been appointed to look after four to five other courts whose judges are on SIR duties. Hence, fixing dates of cases has become difficult. Pendency of cases is increasing as it is impossible to handle such a large volume of work,” he said.