Kin and neighbours blame ‘SIR panic’ after twin deaths
Times of India | 4 November 2025
Egra/Dankuni: Two heart attack deaths have triggered a row with family of one and neighbours of another alleging that they were triggered by anxiety over SIR.
Businessman Sheikh Sirajuddin died on Sunday in Kantabani village in East Midnapore allegedly after discovering a discrepancy in his old identity documents.
In ward no 20 of Dankuni municipality in Hooghly, Hasina Begum died of a heart attack on Sunday at her daughter's home in Nazrulpalli.
Neighbours claimed she was stressed over SIR.
Sirajuddin, who ran a hotel business in Digha, was checking his old documents for the SIR process when he discovered an error in his father's name, said sources. "He fell ill while discussing the matter. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was declared dead," a relative said.
Trinamool MLA and former state minister Akhil Giri visited the bereaved family on Monday and said "the death had been caused by SIR-related anxiety.
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Hasina Begum, on the other hand, had been distressed since attending an SIR meeting three days ago, said sources. Hasina Shabnam, head of Dankuni municipality, said: "The deceased was not on the 2002 voter list, which led to her anxiety and subsequent heart attack."