Md Shamim Akhtar omitted from West Bengal voter list
Wing Commander Md Shamim Akhtar, retired, who served in the Indian Air Force for 20 years, was surprised to find his name missing from the West Bengal voter list, even though his family's names were still there.
This happened during a huge revision where more than 9 million names were deleted and only 700,000 new voters were added.
Akhtar noticed this on 27 March 2026 and has already filed appeals to get his voting rights back.
Supreme Court order raises access concerns
Akhtar's case (and many others) will be reviewed by electoral tribunals after the Supreme Court ruled on 17 April 2026 that individuals cleared by appellate tribunals can vote and directed the ECI to issue supplementary rolls with cut-off dates.
He's especially worried about people who might not have the resources or know-how to fight for their right to vote, saying, "I still consider myself privileged. I can use my position to get the name back in the list. But what about the lakhs of ordinary citizens who are poor and may or may not have documents dating back several decades?"