Kolkata: A middle-aged man reportedly took his own life in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district on Wednesday, with his family claiming that he was deeply anxious about being removed from the voter list during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleged that this was the eighth such death in the state linked to fears over the SIR process.

Who was the deceased?

The deceased has been identified as Safikul Gazi, a resident of Ghushighata in North 24 Parganas. For the past few months, he had been living at his in-laws’ home in Jaypur, located in the Bhangar area.

Family members said Gazi had been struggling mentally after an accident a few months ago. His anxiety reportedly grew worse after the SIR process started in the state.

What the family said

According to his wife, Gazi was terrified of being left out of the voter rolls.

“He was terrified about not having valid identity papers. He kept saying he would be thrown out of the country. He had even fallen ill out of fear. This morning, after having tea, he went to tie the goats and later we found him hanging with a ‘gamchha’ (towel) at the goat shed,” she told reporters.

Political reactions emerge

The incident quickly drew political responses, with the Trinamool Congress accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of spreading fear through the voter verification process.

TMC’s Canning East MLA Shaukat Molla, who visited the bereaved family, said he had gone there on the instructions of the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

“Till Tuesday, seven people had died due to fear over the SIR process. Now, Bhangar has joined that list. This is happening because of the BJP's conspiracy to intimidate and disenfranchise poor people,” Molla alleged.

BJP denies accusations

The BJP rejected the claims made by the TMC, calling them politically motivated.

“The SIR is a routine Election Commission process conducted across India to update voter lists. The TMC is using these deaths for political gain and to malign the BJP. Law and order is the state government's responsibility, not ours,” said BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya.

What is the SIR and why is it causing concern?

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a regular procedure undertaken by the Election Commission of India to update electoral rolls. The ongoing SIR in West Bengal aims to revise and verify voter data ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

However, the process has led to growing tension in several districts. While the TMC has alleged that the SIR is being used as a tool for “silent voter deletion,” the BJP has maintained that it ensures “clean and authentic rolls.”

The Election Commission has not yet issued a statement regarding the incident.

PTI inputs