A group of lawyers announces an independent panel of former judges to investigate the aftermath of SIR

A group of lawyers on Friday (October 2, 2026) issued a statement announcing the formation of an independent panel of former High Court and Supreme Court judges to investigate the growing concerns of citizens over the design, implementation and implications of the Special Intensive Review (SIR) of Electoral Rolls by the Electoral Commission. File | Photo credit: Sudhakara Jain

A group of lawyers on Friday (October 2, 2026) issued a statement announcing the formation of an independent panel of former High Court and Supreme Court judges to investigate the growing concerns of citizens over the design, implementation and implications of the Special Intensive Review (SIR) of Electoral Rolls by the Electoral Commission.

The Lawyers Association for the Constitution (LAFC) said the five-member bench will be chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice Madan B. Lokur and will consist of retired Supreme Court judge Justice AK Patnaik; Justice Badar Durrez Ahmad, former Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir; and former Supreme Court judges Rekha Sharma and Anjana Prakash.

The panel would independently assess the “constitutional and legal validity, methodology and overall impact of the SIR exercise on eligible voters”.

A statement issued through the association’s media coordinator advocate Subhash Chandran said the panel aims to come up with a report by December 2026 after conducting nationwide public hearings, empirical and field research along with legal review of relevant laws and notifications.

Senior lawyers like Kapil Sibal, CU Singh, Vrinda Grover, Raju Ramachandran, Prashant Bhushan, Parishad Farasat, Rebecca Mammen John and Prashanto Chandra Sen would provide strategic legal advice.

Published – 3 Oct 2026 0:10 AM IST