Ex-judge Ranjit Bagh quits SIR tribunal, cites health reasons

Former Calcutta High Court Justice Ranjit Kumar Bagh has officially resigned from his position on the Special Intensified Amendment (SIR) tribunal, citing persistent health issues. His departure marks the second high-profile exit from the specialized judicial panel, following the earlier resignation of the former Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, TS Sivagnanam. Set up under a directive from the Supreme Court of India, the tribunal was explicitly tasked with analyzing, verifying, and structurally resolving massive lists of pending citizen name amendments across West Bengal.

The special tribunal, which operates out of a centralized administrative office established in the Joka neighborhood, was originally designed to process applications from roughly 2.7 million individuals whose files remained stalled on the state’s pending registry. To date, the tribunal has managed to successfully verify and clear between 28,000 and 30,000 names, maintaining a baseline operational average of processing more than 50 verified names every single day. The verification process functions identically to a formal court hearing, requiring officials to strictly scrutinize physical documents and issue legal summons for in-person verifications when necessary.

Despite maintaining a daily clearance rate, the tribunal's overall progress has faced growing scrutiny and complaints regarding severe institutional delays and a widespread lack of administrative infrastructure. Multiple retired judges and legal experts associated with the operation have publicly criticized the state government for failing to provide adequate logistical support and technical apparatus to handle the vast backlog. With Justice Bagh withdrawing due to physical illness, fears have intensified among applicants that the already lengthy court-style verification system will face further delays.