On Friday, the Lawyers Association for Constitution (LAFC) announced the formation of an independent panel of former Supreme Court and High Court judges to investigate growing concerns about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls carried out by the Election Commission.
The five‑member panel will be chaired by former apex court judge Justice Madan B. Lokur. It will include retired Supreme Court judge Justice A.K. Patnaik, former Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court Justice Badar Durrez Ahmad, and former High Court judges Rekha Sharma and Anjana Prakash.
The panel will examine the constitutional and statutory validity, methodology, and overall impact of the SIR exercise on eligible voters. It will conduct nationwide public hearings, empirical and field research, and legal scrutiny of relevant laws and notifications.
The panel aims to deliver a report by December 2026. Senior lawyers Kapil Sibal, C.U. Singh, Vrinda Grover, Raju Ramachandran, Prashant Bhushan, Parishad Farasat, Rebecca Mammen John, and Prashanto Chandra Sen will provide strategic legal advice.
