Siliguri: A 57-year-old man has allegedly committed suicide at Fulbari in Jalpaiguri district over ‘SIR-related stress'. With this incident, the number of alleged SIR-related deaths in Jalpaiguri district rose to five.
The deceased was identified as Mohammad Khatim of Chunabhati in Fulbari. According to his kin, Khatim was under extreme mental stress after the names of five members of his family, including his own, did not appear in the 2002 voter list, resulting in their exclusion from the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) list. Police said he went missing on Monday and his body was found hanging from a tree near his house on Tuesday. Khatim was a taxi driver by profession. He has had a valid driving licence since 1998.
Khatim's name, along with those of his wife and three sons, did not feature in the 2002 voter list, reportedly causing him immense distress despite the family possessing old documents supporting their residency. He attended an SIR hearing on Dec 31 and stopped going to work afterward.
"My father could not sleep due to anxiety over SIR," said his son Mohammad Shahid. "Though his name was not on the 2002 voter list, our family lived here for generations. My grandfather's and uncle's names were in the 2002 list. We tried to reassure him, but he went missing last night. This morning, his body was found. We lost my father because of the SIR exercise. The BJP is responsible," said Shahid.
Siliguri mayor Gautam Deb visited the bereaved family along with TMC Dabgram-Fulbari block president Dilip Roy. Deb said, "With this incident, five people allegedly died in Jalpaiguri district due to SIR-related anxiety. The Election Commission must take full responsibility. We stand by the family in every possible way and will inform the chief minister about the matter."