‘SIR anxiety’: 58-year-old man commits suicide in Baduria

Kolkata: A 58-year-old resident of Baduria in North 24-Parganas, Shafiqul Mondal, has allegedly died by suicide, with his family claiming that fear linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process pushed him to take the step.

Family members said that while checking the 2002 voter list recently published by the Election Commission, they found Shafiqul’s name included but several names of close family members were missing. This reportedly caused him severe anxiety, as he feared exclusion from the electoral roll and the possibility of being forced to leave the country.

On Tuesday afternoon, Shafiqul consumed pesticide at home. He was first taken to a local hospital and later referred to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where he was declared dead.

Following his death, Baduria TMC MLA Kazi Abdur Rahim Dilu visited the Mondal residence and assured the family of all possible support during this crisis. The incident has intensified concerns surrounding SIR-related panic, with similar cases emerging from several districts since the process began. With Shafiqul’s death, the alleged toll linked to SIR fear has risen to 26.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the second death of a Booth Level Officer (BLO) was also reported. According to preliminary information, the BLO, Shantimoni Oraon(48), from Jalpaiguri, is believed to have died by suicide after being unable to cope with extreme work pressure associated with the ongoing revision exercise.

Previously, another incident had been reported from Bengal’s East Burdwan district, where a 54-year-old Booth Level Officer collapsed and died at her home after returning from SIR-related duties. According to her family, she had been working long hours over the past week, and preliminary reports suggest that excessive work pressure during the revision exercise may have contributed to his death.

With these two BLO deaths, the total number of deaths have reached 28 across Bengal.