Another suicide in Bengal due to alleged fear over deportation following SIR

Kolkata, Dec 20 Another suicide has been reported in East Burdwan district in West Bengal due to alleged fear over deportation after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, the police said on Saturday.

A 53-year-old man, identified as Bhaskar Mukhopadhyay, committed suicide by hanging himself due to the fear of being deported because of an error in his documents in the SIR process. Although his ancestral home was in Chandannagar in Hooghly district, he currently used to reside in the Ausgram area of East Burdwan district.

The deceased's family members said that Bhaskar Mukhopadhyay's voter ID card mistakenly listed his father-in-law, Subimal Mukhopadhyay, as his parent instead of his father, Panchanan Mukhopadhyay. They allege that repeated attempts to correct the name were unsuccessful. The same incorrect name remained on the draft voters' list that was recently published by the Election Commission after the first round of SIR.

Sources said he was terrified about what he would say if he were called for a hearing. The fear of being deported at this age had gripped his mind. Family members believe that this is why he took the extreme step.

The incident caused a stir in the area. Soon, the police were informed. Officers from Ausgram police station recovered the body and sent it for a post-mortem. A case of unnatural death has been registered. An investigation has started.

The deceased's son, Ullash Mukhopadhyay, said, "My father's frustration had increased significantly because his applications for name correction were not acted upon. He was also under mental stress."

On the other hand, the deceased's father-in-law, Subimal Sarkar, also expressed his anger against the administration. He said that despite repeated applications to the relevant department, no solution was found.

The incident has also sparked a political debate in the area. Trinamool Congress leader Debu Tudu said, "The BJP doesn't care even if people in Bengal die or live. They want to go to any lengths to win the election here at the expense of people."

Local BJP leader Debjyoti Singha Roy, however, countered the TMC by saying, "Trinamool Congress wanted to prevent the SIR from taking place from the beginning, which is why they are saying these things now."

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