On Thursday, Indrajit Chatterjee, a 71‑year‑old former Calcutta High Court judge, wrote to the Chief Justice offering to quit his post as head of the SIR tribunal for Murshidabad, citing a daily commute of more than 27 km.
The SIR tribunal in Murshidabad deals with appeals over the removal of names from electoral rolls; the tribunal has already deleted 4.5 lakh electors in that district.
Chatterjee’s letter, sent via email and speed post last week, requests a response within three weeks and asks to work from home or an office within a 10‑12 km radius of his Salt Lake residence.
The move comes amid a national row over the SIR process, after the Election Commission and Supreme Court scrutinised the deletion of 27.16 lakh names across West Bengal, with more than 22 lakh appeals pending.
The Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court is due to reply by mid‑November; the tribunal may either accept Chatterjee’s resignation or grant his work‑from‑home request.