Bengal records two more suicides amid SIR anxiety

Kolkata, Nov 4 (PTI) West Bengal on Tuesday recorded two more suicides, allegedly linked to public anxiety over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, heightening political tensions in the state.

The two alleged suicides took place in Howrah and Murshidabad districts, taking the total number of such deaths reportedly connected to the SIR to five since October 28.

At Kandi of Murshidabad district, 45-year-old farmer Mahul Sheikh allegedly consumed pesticide while working in his field in the afternoon.

He was first taken to Kandi Sub-Divisional Hospital and later to Berhampore Medical College and Hospital, where he died en route, police said.

"He had been anxious after discovering that his name was missing from the 2002 voter list and feared potential consequences under the SIR initiative," a senior police officer said, adding that the body had been sent for post-mortem examination.

The SIR is being conducted in the state based on the 2002 voter list.

In the other incident, a 30-year-old man, Jahir Mal, was found hanging at his residence at Khalisani in Howrah district's Uluberia area in the morning.

Police said he had been under stress over errors in his official identity documents, which he feared could lead him to trouble during the SIR process.

His family told the police that he had tried to correct the documents over several weeks but had been unsuccessful.

TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee directed minister Pulak Roy to meet Jahir Mal's family and offer support.

Banerjee claimed that seven people in the state had died in the past week due to fear of being excluded from the electoral rolls during the SIR.

The BJP, however, has denied the allegations, calling them politically motivated and asserting that the SIR process is being misrepresented.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has urged citizens not to panic and assured them that all voter registration and identity verification issues will be addressed through proper official channels. PTI SCH NN