Scared of exclusion from rolls, woman kills self in Malda
Times of India | 17 January 2026
Malda: A woman from the Rajbanshi community in Malda, north Bengal, allegedly died by suicide on Friday, two days after she consumed poison, fearing her name would be excluded from the voter rolls under the SIR process after she failed to establish a documented link with her parents before appearing for her hearing next week.
The woman, Banoti Rajbanshi (36), was a resident of Kamancha village under Malda police station. She allegedly consumed insecticide in fear that she might lose her identity and be "deported" from her home for failing to produce documents linked to her parents during the SIR process.
Police said Banoti was born three months after her father's death. She lost her mother at the age of 3 and was raised by her maternal uncle. Despite possessing Aadhaar and an EPIC card, she was unable to furnish parental details while filling in the SIR form. She was subsequently summoned for a hearing and reportedly asked to submit documentary proof.
Her husband, Somesh Rajbanshi, a farmer, said officials suggested that land records in her father's name could help resolve the issue, but they were not found. "For days, she was desperately searching for any document. She called her uncles, asking if they had land papers, but no one could help," he said.
The incident sparked sharp political reactions. TMC spokesperson Ashis Kundu accused EC and BJP of creating "sheer panic". BJP district president Ajoy Ganguly said, "If that is so, why did her own party not stand by her instead of mounting pressure on booth-level officers and voters?"