SIR: BLO kills self, suicide note says ‘I can no longer bear the pressure’

Kolkata: The alleged suicide of a Booth Level Officer (BLO) in Bankura has once again brought the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls under political scrutiny, with Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee reacting strongly to the incident.

Haradhan Mondal, a BLO appointed by the Election Commission of India, was found hanging inside a school premises in the Ranibandh area of Bankura district on Saturday. Mondal was attached to the Ranibandh Assembly Constituency, Part No. 206. A suicide note recovered from the spot reportedly stated: “I can no longer bear the pressure,” and held the inhuman nature of the task responsible

for his decision. Responding to the incident, Abhishek Banerjee said the death toll linked to panic, anxiety, exhaustion and fear was “continuously mounting” due to what he termed a hurried and chaotic SIR process.” Banerjee alleged that more than 50 lives had already been lost amid fear and stress generated by the voter revision exercise, which he described as politically motivated.

According to him, a process that should have been conducted in a planned and methodical manner was instead pushed through in haste. He accused the Election Commission of acting in a manner that suited the political interests of a single party.

Referring to the BJP, Banerjee said that deaths caused by fatigue, despair or fear were being treated as “acceptable collateral cost” in a larger power struggle. “History is watching. Bengal will not forgive and Bengal will not forget,” he added.

Police officials of Ranibandh police station said an Unnatural Death (UD) case has been registered and a detailed probe is underway. “All aspects are being examined, including whether any external pressure or other factors were involved,” a senior police officer said.