A 64-year-old man was found hanging at his home in West Bengal’s Uttar Dinajpur. His family said he was severely stressed after receiving a notice for Special Intensive Revision voter hearing. Police are investigating and awaiting post-mortem report.
A 64-year-old man was found hanging inside his home in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal on Thursday, triggering grief and concern in the local community. The man’s family has alleged that he was under severe mental stress after receiving a notice related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls.
The deceased has been identified as Bablu Pal, a resident of the Palpara area under the Raiganj police station limits. Police said an investigation has been started, and the exact cause of death will be confirmed after a post-mortem examination.
Body found early morning, police begin probe
According to police officials, Bablu Pal was found hanging inside his house in the early hours of Thursday. “After receiving information, our officers reached the house and recovered the body. It was then sent to Raiganj Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem examination,” a police officer said.
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Police have initiated an investigation into the death. Officials said they are following standard procedures and will wait for the autopsy report before reaching any conclusion.
Family claims stress due to SIR hearing notice
Family members said Bablu Pal had been under extreme mental pressure after receiving a notice for a hearing related to the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
They alleged that he feared his name might be removed from the voter list. The family also claimed that he was worried he could be wrongly labelled an illegal migrant, which added to his anxiety.
According to relatives, Pal had been disturbed for several days and kept discussing his fear about losing his voting rights.
Suicide note recovered, police yet to confirm details
The family said a suicide note was recovered from the room where Pal was found. However, police have not officially confirmed the contents of the note or whether it directly mentions the SIR notice.
Officials said such details would only be verified after proper examination as part of the investigation.
A scrap dealer and family man
Bablu Pal worked as a scrap dealer and was known in the area as a hardworking individual. He is survived by his wife and a daughter.
His daughter is scheduled to appear for her Madhyamik (Class 10) examinations, which are set to begin on February 2. Neighbours and relatives said the family is struggling to cope with the sudden loss at a critical time.
Local MLA visits family, blames fear around SIR
Trinamool Congress MLA from Raiganj, Krishna Kalyani, visited Bablu Pal’s residence after the incident and met the grieving family. Speaking to reporters, Kalyani blamed the Election Commission for creating fear among residents through the SIR process.
He alleged that confusion and anxiety surrounding the voter list revision had pushed many people into distress. He said authorities must ensure that people are not frightened or made to feel insecure about their citizenship or voting rights.
Police say cause of death yet to be confirmed
Raiganj Superintendent of Police Sonowane Kuldeep Suresh said that it would be premature to draw conclusions before the post-mortem report is received. “It is not possible to state the cause of death conclusively until the autopsy report is available,” the SP said.
He added that police are examining all aspects related to the case.
What is SIR, why is it creating panic
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a detailed update of electoral rolls conducted by the Election Commission of India to verify voters' identity, address, and eligibility. Officials issue notices asking people to attend hearings or submit documents to confirm their details. The process aims to remove duplicate, fake, or outdated entries and ensure accurate voter lists.
However, fear has grown because many poor or migrant families lack formal papers like land records or birth certificates. Some worry their names could be deleted or they could be wrongly tagged as illegal migrants. The notices, deadlines and lack of guidance have added to anxiety.
SIR process sparks wider political debate
The incident comes amid growing debate over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
Earlier this week, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, raising concerns about documentation issues faced by certain communities.
Adhikari seeks acceptance of tea garden records
In his letter, Adhikari urged the Election Commission to accept employment records from tea gardens and cinchona plantations as valid proof of identity and residence for the SIR process.
He said many workers in these plantations lack standard government documents because their families date back to the colonial period. During that time, official records were maintained mainly by plantation authorities, not by the government.
Colonial-era records still crucial for many families
Adhikari explained that tea garden and cinchona plantation records documented employment, residence and family details. These records were passed down through generations after independence.
He argued that such documents have long been used in labour disputes and welfare schemes and should be considered reliable where other documents are missing.
Lack of land rights adds to voter exclusion
The BJP leader also pointed out that many plantation workers still do not have land rights, leaving them without land records in their names.
This, he said, makes it harder for them to prove residence and identity during voter list revisions. He claimed that this situation has resulted in many eligible voters being left out of electoral rolls for years.
Adhikari said accepting employment records would help include marginalised communities in the democratic process. He added that voter list revisions should reflect historical realities and avoid rigid standards that hurt poor and underprivileged citizens.
He stressed that inclusive policies would strengthen democracy and restore trust in the electoral system.
(With inputs from agencies)
