An FIR has been filed against the Election Commission in West Bengal’s Purulia district following the death of an 82-year-old tribal man whose family alleges that he took his own life due to “anxiety over the ongoing SIR”, a senior police officer said on Wednesday.
Based on a complaint lodged by the man’s son at Para Police Station, the case was registered 23 days after the incident.
“The case includes charges of abetment of suicide and criminal conspiracy against officials of the Election Commission. No official was named in the FIR,” the officer said.
The deceased, identified as Durjan Majhi, was a resident of Choutala village in the Para block of Purulia.
According to the police, Majhi allegedly died by suicide on December 29, just hours before he was scheduled to appear for a hearing related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls at the block office.
Majhi’s family has claimed that the notice and the upcoming hearing caused him severe distress. They alleged that he ended his life due to “anxiety over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls”.
The incident has triggered a political response in the state. The ruling Trinamool Congress accused the Election Commission of creating fear among people through the SIR process.
The BJP and the Election Commission have not responded to the allegation so far. This is not the only such case reported from the district.
In another incident, a 32-year-old tribal man from Manbazar in Purulia district allegedly died by suicide after receiving a SIR hearing notice, his family claimed.