KOLKATA: “Motab Shaikh and Motab Herul are the same person,” the appellate tribunal ruled on April 5 in its first SIR appeal, accepting the Congress Farakka candidate’s Aadhaar card as proof of identity after the Election Commission provided no reason for his exclusion.Retired judge TS Sivagnanam, while adjudicating Motab’s appeal, said the tribunal sought the specific reasons recorded by the judicial officer for exclusion of Motab’s name. The EC, however, failed to provide any, citing “technical reasons”.In an earlier proceeding regarding SIR in West Bengal in Supreme Court, Justice Joymalya Bagchi pointed out that the software includes a specific column designed to record the “reason” for every voter’s inclusion or exclusion.Justice Bagchi had said: “The architecture of the software provides a field for remarks, where the officers concerned must provide reasons when deciding whether a logical discrepancy justifies deletion or warrants inclusion.”Senior advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu, representing EC, had assured the bench that the entire digital record would be made available to the appellate tribunal.The dispute stemmed from discrepancies between Motab’s name as on the 2002 voters’ list and the first list after SIR on Dec 16 last year.The tribunal examined the entire record placed before the AERO, where Motab’s Aadhaar card proved crucial. While Aadhaar is not a document proving citizenship, it serves as a document of identity. In fact, following the SC judgment in the Bihar SIR case on Sept 8, 2025, Aadhaar was included by EC as a “supporting” document.Applying that logic to Motab’s appeal, the tribunal said his Aadhaar reflects his name as Motab Shaikh. “This would be sufficient to accept the case of the appellant,” it said.The tribunal also took note of his passport (issued in 2018) and driving licence (issued in 2001), both of which identified him as Motab Shaikh, son of Ejabul Shaikh.The tribunal also considered the affidavit he filed for correction after his name was recorded as ‘Motab Herul’ instead of ‘Motab Shaikh’ following the 2002 SIR.Furthermore, he produced the birth certificates of his four children; on the certificate of the eldest, born in 1993, his name was recorded as ‘Motab Shaikh’. Interestingly, all six of Motab’s siblings had cleared the SIR process, with their names appearing on the poll rolls, while Motab’s was the only one excluded.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosManipur Erupts Again After Deadly Blast Kills 2 Children; Curfew Imposed, Internet Shutdown’Avoid Military Areas, Stay Indoors’: India Issues Advisory For Indians In Iran As Tensions RiseManipur Erupts Again: Curfew, Internet Shutdown As Violence Returns Over Killing Of Two ChildrenTejas Back In Air After Setbacks, But Reliability And Delays Raise Fresh Questions’Target Of Akhand Bharat’: Pakistan Senator Sounds Alarm Over Growing India-UAE Ties’At The Behest Of Mamata’: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s Shocking Claim On Pakistan’s Kolkata ThreatIndia Seeks US Waiver On Chabahar Amid Conflict; Iran Envoy Hints At Key Port Revival After WarBJP Calls Kharge’s ‘Snake’ Remark Dangerous, Alleges Communal ProvocationAssam Passport Row Turns Personal: Himanta Sarma Takes ‘Peda’ Jibe At Pawan Khera, Congress Responds’Pakistan Will Be Divided Into…’: Rajnath Singh’s Strong Response To Khawaja Asif’s Kolkata Threat123PhotostoriesFrom Divyanka Tripathi to Karishma Tanna confirming their pregnancies to Surbhi Jyoti flaunting her baby bump; TV actresses who are all set to embrace motherhoodWhy this is the only Indian dish among the 50 Best Bean Dishes in the World5 fun and unusual vacation ideas for the summer holidays in IndiaStep inside Kapil Dev’s Delhi residence that defines understated luxurySimple remedies to attract wealth based on your numberHappy birthday Jackie Chan: ‘Drunken Master’, ‘Police Story’ to ‘Rush Hour’ – The legend’s greatest hitsHeartbroken? 7 inspiring quotes on why this isn’t the end of your storyBrad Pitt, Tom Cruise and more: Hollywood stars who adore Bollywood actors, trends and movies4 non-negotiable rules for a healthy relationshipTamil Nadu’s Buckingham Canal gets Rs 45 crore makeover: Walkways, cycling tracks, Miyawaki forests planned123Hot PicksLuka Doncic InjuryUpdated IPL Points TableOil PriceSilver Rate TodayLPG NewsPublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingBuffalo BillsIShowSpeedStephen CurrySheldon KeefeUS stocks todayIran AdvisoryCarlos AlcarazIPL Points TableSchool Holidays in AprilKarnataka 2nd PUC Exam Result Date
KOLKATA: “Motab Shaikh and Motab Herul are the same person,” the appellate tribunal ruled on April 5 in its first SIR appeal, accepting the Congress Farakka candidate’s Aadhaar card as proof of identity after the Election Commission provided no reason for his exclusion.Retired judge TS Sivagnanam, while adjudicating Motab’s appeal, said the tribunal sought the specific reasons recorded by the judicial officer for exclusion of Motab’s name. The EC, however, failed to provide any, citing “technical reasons”.In an earlier proceeding regarding SIR in West Bengal in Supreme Court, Justice Joymalya Bagchi pointed out that the software includes a specific column designed to record the “reason” for every voter’s inclusion or exclusion.Justice Bagchi had said: “The architecture of the software provides a field for remarks, where the officers concerned must provide reasons when deciding whether a logical discrepancy justifies deletion or warrants inclusion.”Senior advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu, representing EC, had assured the bench that the entire digital record would be made available to the appellate tribunal.The dispute stemmed from discrepancies between Motab’s name as on the 2002 voters’ list and the first list after SIR on Dec 16 last year.The tribunal examined the entire record placed before the AERO, where Motab’s Aadhaar card proved crucial. While Aadhaar is not a document proving citizenship, it serves as a document of identity. In fact, following the SC judgment in the Bihar SIR case on Sept 8, 2025, Aadhaar was included by EC as a “supporting” document.Applying that logic to Motab’s appeal, the tribunal said his Aadhaar reflects his name as Motab Shaikh. “This would be sufficient to accept the case of the appellant,” it said.The tribunal also took note of his passport (issued in 2018) and driving licence (issued in 2001), both of which identified him as Motab Shaikh, son of Ejabul Shaikh.The tribunal also considered the affidavit he filed for correction after his name was recorded as ‘Motab Herul’ instead of ‘Motab Shaikh’ following the 2002 SIR.Furthermore, he produced the birth certificates of his four children; on the certificate of the eldest, born in 1993, his name was recorded as ‘Motab Shaikh’. Interestingly, all six of Motab’s siblings had cleared the SIR process, with their names appearing on the poll rolls, while Motab’s was the only one excluded.
