Siliguri: A 57-year-old man allegedly died by suicide in Fulbari, with his family claiming that fear linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list drove him to take the extreme step. The deceased has been identified as Mohammad Khadem, a resident of the Chunabhati area in Fulbari.
According to family sources, the names of Khadem and four other family members were missing from the draft SIR list as their names did not appear in the 2002 voter list. As a result, all five had to appear for a hearing and submit relevant documents.
Despite attending the hearing and submitting papers, Khadem reportedly remained under severe mental stress. On Monday evening, he went missing, prompting a search by family members. On Tuesday morning, locals found his body hanging from a tree near his house. Police from New Jalpaiguri Police Station recovered the body and sent it to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem. Khadem’s son Mohammad Sayed said: “My father was under constant stress due to the SIR issue. Even after the hearing, he remained frightened. We believe this fear drove him to take his own life.”
Following the incident, Siliguri Mayor Gautam Deb visited the bereaved family. Expressing condolences, the mayor claimed that this was the fifth death in Jalpaiguri district linked to SIR-related fear. “The Election Commission must take responsibility. Conducting the SIR process within such a short time has created widespread panic. If it had been done in a phased and humane manner, such incidents might have been avoided,” Deb said. In a separate incident highlighting alleged harassment during the SIR process, a 77-year-old man fell ill while attending a hearing in Siliguri.
The elderly man, identified as Himangshu Mohan Das, became unwell on Monday during a hearing at Netaji Boys’ High School. Abhaya Basu, councillor of Ward No. 20, alleged that the senior citizen fell sick due to stress and harassment during the process.
“People are facing harassment due to this hearing system. Those who worked outside the state are facing the most difficulties. Forcing a 77-year-old man to wait for hours is extremely unfortunate,” she added.
Das had served in a government job in Arunachal Pradesh for several years and returned to settle permanently in Siliguri after retirement in 2007. Due to his long association with another state, he reportedly faced complications during the hearing.