SIR: BLO, man die in Malda; Families allege extreme stress

Malda: Two separate deaths in Malda district have triggered controversy after families and residents alleged that stress related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls contributed to the incidents.

One of the deceased was a Booth Level Officer (BLO), while the other was a voter worried about his status in the draft electoral roll. In the first incident, Abul Barkat (56), a school teacher and BLO of Booth No. 153 at Bamungram under the Sujapur Assembly constituency, died early Friday morning after reportedly falling ill. He was taken to Malda Medical College and Hospital, where he was declared dead.

Family members alleged that Barkat had been under tremendous pressure, as around 579 voters from his booth had their names marked as “under adjudication.” He was worried about verifying documents and presenting them before the authorities. “My father had been under immense mental pressure for several days. People whose names were under scrutiny even came to our house and threatened him. He had to stay up all night completing the work,” said his son, Hasib Akhtar.

A relative, Abdul Karim, said Barkat had barely slept for days due to the workload. His colleague Shahid Tanirul also said the BLO was under significant stress because of the verification process. In another incident, Abdus Sattar (64), a resident of Sonapur village under Mashaldah Gram Panchayat in Harishchandrapur II block, died after suffering a heart attack. According to family members and locals, he had been deeply worried about whether he would be able to vote, as his name was listed as “under adjudication” in the voter list. He was first taken to the Mashaldah Sub-Health Centre and later referred to Chanchal Super Speciality Hospital, but he died on the way.

Family members alleged that despite submitting all necessary documents during the hearing process, his name remained under consideration, which caused severe anxiety.

Locals further claimed that out of around 1,500 voters in the booth, nearly 1,050 names were marked as under adjudication. Some residents alleged that the process was selectively targeting minority voters.

Political reactions followed the incidents. Malda district Trinamool Congress spokesperson Shubhamoy Basu alleged that excessive pressure and harassment in the name of SIR had led to the deaths. However, BJP South Malda general secretary Nilanjan Das said the matter should not be politicised and called for an impartial investigation into the incidents.