Man dies two days after consuming poison after name did not feature in Bengal's electoral rolls post SIR

Kolkata, March 30 (IANS) The unnatural death of 35-year-old Khepa Hazra, a resident of Akandra village in Kanksa area of West Burdwan district, sparked a sensation in the area on Monday. The family alleged that the man consumed poison after being frustrated over his failure to get his name included in the final voter list, despite having appeared for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearing.

His family further alleged that he took his own life due to severe depression, stemming from the fear of losing his citizenship.

According to the police, Khepa Hazra’s name was missing from the 2002 voter list of West Bengal. After the recent SIR exercise, his name appeared in the 'under-adjudication' category rather than the standard electoral rolls. Despite having recently appeared for a hearing, his name failed to make it even onto the supplementary list. Since that time, he had been gradually slipping into depression.

His family said that the man, who worked as a daily labourer, had not been eating properly or speaking to anyone for the past few days.

On Saturday, after failing to locate him for an extended period, family members began a search. He was subsequently found in an unconscious state near the village fields. Upon being taken to the Durgapur Sub-divisional Hospital, doctors determined that he consumed poison. After a two-day battle for survival, he finally passed away on Monday.

The deceased's wife, Brinda Hazra, told local reporters, "Ever since his name failed to appear in the voter list, he had been living in constant fear. He would barely eat or speak. Ultimately, he chose to take this drastic step. We are now at a loss as to what to do."

His daughter, Durga, stated, "We tried our best to reason with him. But the panic surrounding the SIR had completely consumed him."

The incident has sparked a political war of words. Pradip Majumdar, the Trinamool Congress candidate for the Durgapur Purba constituency, lashed out at the Election Commission, saying, "Panic is being deliberately spread under the pretext of identifying infiltrators. Despite possessing valid documents, people are being driven to their deaths."

On the other hand, Sumanta Mondal, the BJP's district spokesperson, offered a counter-argument. "This same process has been implemented in other states as well, yet no such incidents have occurred elsewhere. The Trinamool Congress is deliberately misleading the public. We assure everyone that there is no cause for alarm."

--IANS

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