Youth ends life, BLO dies amid SIR pressure in North Dinajpur
Raiganj: A 24-year-old youth allegedly died by suicide after consuming poison, reportedly out of fear related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, triggering tension in his locality under Goalpokhar Police Station area of North Dinajpur district.
The deceased was identified as Abdul Mutalib, a daily wage labourer and resident of Churakutti village. According to family members, Mutalib consumed poison at his residence on Wednesday night. He was found unconscious at home and was immediately shifted to Kishanganj MGM Medical College in neighbouring Bihar, where he succumbed early Friday morning. Following the news of his death, tension spread across the village, prompting concern among local residents.
Jatan Bibi, the mother of the deceased, alleged that her son was under severe mental stress after being called for verification under the SIR process and said: “My son was asked to appear for verification. After that, some locals frightened him by saying he might be sent to a detention camp. On Wednesday morning my son expressed his fear.
I tried to console him. Unfortunately, later that night he consumed poison.”
In another incident allegedly linked to the pressure of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) work, Bipin Toppo (45), a Booth Level Officer (BLO) of booth No. 78 at Debijhora in Chopra block of North Dinajpur district, died at his residence on Thursday night. Ashok Orao, a relative of the deceased, alleged that Toppo had been under tremendous mental pressure since the SIR process began. “He often expressed his desire to get relief from such hard work. On Thursday night, he fell seriously ill and died before he could be taken to the hospital,” Orao said.
Reacting to the incident, Ghulam Rabbani, State Minister for Environment and Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy Sources and MLA from Goalpokhar said: “The family of the deceased has blamed the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the death.
They stated that Toppo would hardly get time to sleep due to excessive workload and mental stress caused by SIR duties”. Rabbani also referred to the death of Abdul Mutalib, a daily wage labourer in Goalpokhar, alleging that fear related to the SIR process led him to consume poison.
A senior police officer of Chopra Police Station stated that the post-mortem examination of the body was conducted at Islampur Sub-Divisional Hospital on Friday morning in the presence of a magistrate. The exact cause of death will be confirmed after the autopsy report is received.
