Bengal man dies by suicide over spelling error in ID amid voter list revision

A 30-year-old man in West Bengal’s Howrah district allegedly died by suicide on Tuesday, reportedly after being distressed over errors in his identity document during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, police said.

The deceased, identified as Jahir Mal, a resident of Khalisani in Uluberia, was found hanging at his home in the morning. According to officers, his family said he had been under severe stress after discovering a spelling mistake in one of his official documents.

“He had visited several local offices in recent weeks to get the error corrected but failed to do so. Jahir feared that the mistake might cause complications in verifying his citizenship or voter eligibility during the SIR process,” the officer said.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Abhishek Banerjee asked minister Pulak Roy to visit the bereaved family. Roy met the relatives later in the day and assured them of support.

Banerjee also claimed that seven people have died in West Bengal within a week due to fear that their names might be omitted from electoral rolls during the revision drive.

TMC ALLEGES SIR PANIC DEATHS, BJP CALLS IT POLITICAL DRAMA

A fresh political confrontation erupted in the state after the Trinamool alleged that another person, a 60-year-old woman named Hasina Begum, had died under stress related to the SIR exercise.

According to locals, Begum collapsed on the road on Sunday morning and was declared dead at a local hospital. Neighbours said she had been anxious after a community meeting about the SIR process, as her name did not appear in the 2002 voter list.

“Although she had valid documents, she was extremely worried. After that meeting, her condition worsened,” said a neighbour.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the BJP’s “panic politics” had led to Begum’s death. “Hasina Begum suffered a heart attack after being told that those missing from the SIR list could be sent to Bangladesh. This fear is being deliberately spread by BJP leaders,” he alleged.

Earlier this week, another man, 57-year-old Pradeep Kar from North 24 Parganas, had allegedly died by suicide reportedly over “fear of NRC.” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had then accused the BJP of turning “constitutional democracy into a theatre of fear.”

SIR PROCESS ACROSS 12 STATES

The ongoing SIR, officially aimed at updating and verifying voter rolls, is being conducted across 12 states and Union Territories from November 4 to December 4. The Election Commission has maintained that it is a standard pre-election procedure to ensure accuracy in voter lists.

But in politically charged West Bengal, the exercise has turned into another flashpoint, with Trinamool accusing the BJP of spreading fear among citizens, and the BJP accusing the ruling party of exploiting emotional issues to consolidate support.

- Ends