New Delhi, Jan. 22 -- The Election Commission of India (ECI) cannot have an "untrammelled" power to conduct special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as the same must be subject to guidelines and procedures including transparency and principles of natural justice, the Supreme Court observed on Wednesday.

A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and justice Joymalya Bagchi said, "If we hold that the ECI has jurisdiction to conduct SIR, can we say it will be untrammelled," as it heard submissions by the poll panel that Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (RPA), which provides for SIR, gives it "widest" discretion about the manner and extent of conducting an intensive revision of electoral rolls....