BALURGHAT: An incident of unnatural death has been reported from South Dinajpur district, with family members alleging that panic following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls contributed to the tragedy.
The deceased, Jamal Mian (40), a resident of Allahabad village under Banshihari block, reportedly died of cardiac arrest after falling ill. Mian, a migrant labourer, had been living in Delhi with his wife, three daughters and a son in a rented accommodation.
He had returned to his native village during the ongoing SIR process.
According to family members, Mian’s name was initially included in the “Adjudication” list and later deleted from the electoral roll. Though he had subsequently applied to the Tribunal seeking re-enlistment as per procedure, the development allegedly left him distressed.
His brother, Kalimuddin Ahmed, claimed that the anxiety stemming from the deletion of his name triggered severe stress. “My brother died due to cardiac arrest following panic after his name was struck off the electoral roll. He was under immense pressure after being first placed in the adjudication list and then removed,” he said.
Echoing similar concerns, Banshihari Block Trinamool Congress president, Partha Majumdar, described the death as unfortunate.
He stated that Mian had followed due process by applying to the Tribunal, but was “panic-stricken” after his name was deleted, eventually falling ill and succumbing to cardiac arrest. “The incident has once again raised concerns over the impact of electoral verification processes on vulnerable individuals in the district,” he added.
However, district BJP president Swarup Chowdhury said that he was not aware of the exact circumstances behind his death. “I am not aware of the exact circumstances of his death. I will have to look into the matter. So far, I have not received any such report,” he said.