India, Feb. 21 -- The Supreme Court on Friday directed the deployment of serving and retired district court judges in West Bengal to adjudicate disputed voter claims in the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral roll, in an unprecedented exercise of its constitutional powers, and stepping into what it described as an "unfortunate blame game" between the Trinamool Congress-led state government and the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Calling the situation "extraordinary", a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi said that it was left with "hardly any choice" other than requesting the chief justice of the Calcutta high court to spare serving as well as retired ...