A mystery shrouds the death of 57-year-old Pradeep Kar of Agarpara, whose alleged suicide note blaming the NRC (national register of citizens) has triggered a fierce political storm in West Bengal.
Police sources today said the handwriting in the purported note will undergo forensic examination to ascertain whether it was indeed written by Kar. Kar, a long-time resident of Mahajati Nagar in Panihati, was found hanging inside his bedroom on Tuesday morning, barely 24 hours after the Election Commission of India announced the start of the state’s special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll. The police recovered a diary from his room, one page of which allegedly contained a handwritten note reading: “NRC is responsible for my death.”
However, questions have now emerged over the authenticity of that note. Kar’s family members have raised doubts, saying he had studied only up to Class III and had lost four fingers of his right hand in an accident before 1980, leaving him unable to write properly. “There is no evidence that he could write with his left hand,” said one family member. The BJP has seized upon these claims, questioning whether Kar could have written the note at all. The Trinamul Congress, on the other hand, has accused the BJP-led central government of creating an atmosphere of fear that drove Kar to take his own life.
TMC leaders, including Abhishek Banerjee, held the Union home minister and the Election Commission of India responsible, claiming that the SIR announcement rekindled fears of the NRC among ordinary citizens. “He was terrified that his name might be struck off the list,” said a local TMC leader. Police officials confirmed that the suicide note’s handwriting will be compared with Kar’s known samples. “We have initiated forensic analysis,” said an officer of the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate. Deputy commissioner (South) Anupam Singh added: “A case of abetment to suicide has been registered at Khardah police station based on a complaint lodged by the deceased’s sister-in-law. We are examining all aspects of the case.” Kar lived with his younger brother and sister-in-law in a two-bedroom flat.
According to the family, he had dinner as usual on Monday night and retired to his room. The next morning, when he failed to respond to repeated knocks, his sister-in-law raised an alarm. Neighbours gathered, and the police were called in, who broke open the door and found Kar hanging from the ceiling. Meanwhile, the suicide note — now circulating widely on social media — mentions Kar’s name, address, date of birth, and a reference to the NRC, though the handwriting is faint and unclear. The Statesman has not independently verified the authenticity of the note.
As political blame games intensify, investigators are now racing to determine one crucial question.