A woman who works as a notary in a district court has, over the past two months, authenticated hundreds of affidavits confirming that two different spellings, variations or names refer to the same individual.

Most declarations were for voters flagged with “logical discrepancy” during the SIR.

In the second week of April, she found that her own name had been deleted from the revised electoral rolls in Sankrail, Howrah.

Naznin Mollah, 46, was among several voters who turned up at SPM-NIWAS, the central government institute in Joka that houses the SIR tribunals, only to be turned away.

Naznin works as a notary public in the Howrah district court. Notary officials are legal professionals appointed by the central or state government to authenticate legal documents.

On Saturday, she came with her sister-in-law, Zillunnaher Mollah, an ASHA worker who also lost her voting rights.

“We were not even called for a hearing and did not receive any notice. Our names were marked ‘under adjudication’. The BLO assured us that there was nothing to worry about, that the 2002 rolls, which had our names, would be enough. But on March 23, the supplementary list showed our names had been deleted,” Naznin told Metro outside the Joka institute.

She said she is aware that the Supreme Court has ordered that individuals cleared by the tribunal at least two days before polling will be allowed to vote.

“But no one knows how the tribunals are working or how many cases have been heard. We came hoping for some clarity on that,” said Naznin.

She returned without answers. CISF personnel at the gates told them they would be informed about their hearings.

Kalpana Mazumdar, 56, a resident of Natun Para near Behala Chowrasta, said her BLO suggested she apply through Form 6, but her application was rejected.

“After my Form 6 appeal was rejected, I was asked to appeal to the tribunal,” she said.

According to Election Commission norms, Form 6 is meant for new voters. Those whose names are deleted after adjudication must seek restoration through tribunals.

Mazumdar, a voter from Behala West, said she attended a SIR hearing because her name did not feature in the 2002 electoral list.

“My name was not there in the 2002 list as my husband had a transferable job and we were in Bihar. In 2008, I became a voter of the Behala West constituency. I submitted all relevant documents like Aadhaar, PAN and my Class X mark sheet, but my name was still deleted,” she said.

For some who came to the institute, absence from work is affecting their income.

Santosh Chowdhury, 24, from Nabapally in Joka, said he had to forgo his wages to visit the centre. “I earn ₹300 a day working at an electronics store. Missing even a day costs us a lot. My father runs a tea stall, so working is important for me. There is still no clarity on when I should attend the hearing at the tribunal. It is not possible for me to miss work,” he said.

He had attended a hearing because of a mismatch in his father’s name. “I submitted my Aadhaar card, my Class X certificate and even my father’s bank details.”

Rahul Sabarwal, 48, a resident of Madhyamgram in North 24-Parganas, came for the second time in five days after his son’s name was dropped from the rolls. “I came on April 14. The guards did not let me in and asked me to come a few days later. But even today, I was turned away,” he said.