India, Sept. 16 -- The Supreme Court on Monday observed that it cannot restrain the Election Commission of India (ECI) from conducting its ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across the states, emphasising that the legality of the process will ultimately be decided at the stage of final judgment. Until then, the court said, the commission, as a constitutional body, must be presumed to act in accordance with its constitutional responsibilities and that any breach could invite its intervention.

A bench of justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi made the remarks while adjourning till October 7 the hearing of a batch of petitions challenging SIR, including the one being carried out in election-bound Bihar. Petitioners...