The Calcutta High Court has directed administrative authorities to provide a provisional domicile certificate to an Army candidate whose recruitment was jeopardised after his name was struck off the voter list.
In an order issued on September 3, Justice Krishna Rao instructed the Sub-Divisional Officer of Basirhat to grant the temporary certificate to the applicant, Sourav Sarkar, provided he satisfies all other eligibility conditions aside from his voter registration status. The court intervened to prevent Sarkar from being disqualified from the upcoming physical examination, which defence authorities scheduled for September.
Conditional Relief for Physical Examination
Sarkar had already cleared the initial selection phase and secured a place on the recruitment shortlist. However, defence recruitment rules required him to furnish a domicile certificate before he could participate in the mandatory physical test.
To safeguard the process while legal questions surrounding his residency remain unresolved, the court made the relief conditional. Sarkar must submit an undertaking pledging to return the provisional certificate within one week if he fails in his appeal regarding his voter list deletion.
Tribunal Directed to Fast-Track Appeal
During proceedings, Sarkar’s legal representatives, advocates Asif Dewan and Mehedi Masud, submitted that local authorities had refused to issue the domicile document solely because their client’s name no longer appeared on the electoral roll. They requested judicial intervention to expedite the pending appellate process so that Sarkar could submit the necessary paperwork in time for the physical screening.
Following these submissions, Justice Rao instructed the appellate tribunal dealing with Sarkar’s voter list challenge to dispose of the appeal as swiftly as possible, recommending a final decision within one week of receiving the court order.
The state government was represented during the hearing by government pleader D. N. Ray, while advocate Anamika Pandey appeared on behalf of the Election Commission of India.
Broader Electoral Roll Scrutiny
The directive comes against the backdrop of wider voter roll adjustments in the state. Ahead of the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections, appellate tribunals cleared approximately 1,468 names to be restored to the electoral rolls. Despite those clearances, multiple voters whose names remain deleted have continued filing appeals before tribunals to regain their voting credentials.
