The family of Pradeep Kar, the 57-year-old Khardah resident who died by suicide allegedly fearing he would have to prove his citizenship afresh, filed a police complaint on Thursday accusing “unknown persons” of abetment.
This is the first complaint of abetment to suicide filed by a family citing anxiety over citizenship verification since Monday, when the Election Commission of India announced a special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bengal.
“A case of abetment to suicide has been drawn up at Khardah police station based on a complaint lodged by the deceased’s brother’s wife. The case has been drawn up against unknown persons,” said Murlidhar Sharma, commissioner of Barrackpore police, on Thursday. The case has been registered under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which prescribes imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine for anyone who incites, encourages, or assists another person in committing suicide.
The complaint was lodged a day after Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool Congress national general secretary, visited the Kar family on Wednesday. Abhishek blamed Union home minister Amit Shah and chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar for the death, alleging that the SIR had triggered panic.
“Kar died because of anxiety over NRC and SIR. An FIR should be filed against Shah and Kumar,” Abhishek said after meeting the family.
Sources in the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate said Kar’s sister-in-law submitted a written complaint citing a suicide note purportedly penned by Kar, in which he blamed the NRC for his death. She said Kar had been mentally disturbed since the announcement of the SIR.
The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is intended to identify Indian citizens and illegal immigrants, and has so far been implemented only in Assam. The SIR, meant to verify voter rolls and remove ineligible names, has reignited public fears that it could become linked to the NRC process.
Within hours of the police complaint being filed, chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed concern over what she termed “politically inflicted tragedies”.
“On October 27, 57-year-old Pradeep Kar of Panihati, Khardah, died by suicide, leaving a note that read ‘NRC is responsible for my death’. On October 28, a 63-year-old man from Dinhata, Cooch Behar, attempted to take his life, terrified of harassment under the SIR process,” Mamata wrote on X. “Who will answer for these avoidable, politically inflicted tragedies?”
Kar’s neighbours said he had lived in Panihati for over four decades and had moved to Mahajati Nagar about six months ago. His brother-in-law, Uttam Ojha, said the two ran a bedding store together and had voted at the same polling booth for years. Yet, the fear of having to prove his citizenship consumed him.
Probe demand
The BJP has questioned the authenticity of the suicide note, claiming Kar could not have written it because four fingers of his right hand were severed. “We want the suicide note to be sent for examination at the Central Forensic Laboratory, not to any lab under the state government,” said BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari, leader of the Opposition in the Bengal Assembly.
Senior officers on Thursday said that the purported suicide note and Kar’s personal diary will be sent for forensic examination to verify the handwriting. “We will conduct a forensic examination of the suicide note,” commissioner Sharma said.
Senior Trinamool leaders led a rally through Kar’s neighbourhood, condemning his death.
“Unfortunately, the BJP has no faith in state-run forensic laboratories, and that is deplorable,” said Chandrima Bhattacharya, minister of state for health and family welfare.