A 55-year-old daily wage labourer allegedly died of a heart attack at Dhankoil Haat in Kaliyaganj, North Dinajpur district, with his family claiming that he was under extreme mental stress linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Sudden collapse at local market
The deceased has been identified as Lakkhi Kanta Roy, a resident of Chandoil village under Bochadanga Gram Panchayat. According to local sources, Roy had gone to Dhankoil Haat on Monday afternoon in search of daily wage work when he suddenly fell ill.
He was rushed to Kaliyaganj State General Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Family cites fear over voter list revision
Roy’s son, Hira Roy, alleged that his father had been under severe mental pressure due to the SIR process being conducted by the Election Commission of India. The family had reportedly received a notice to appear for an SIR hearing at the Kaliyaganj block office on January 19.
“My father was extremely worried that our names could be deleted from the voter list, as our names were not included in the 2002 electoral roll. He spent days collecting documents and remained under constant stress,” Hira Roy said.
Political reactions and protests
Following the incident, members of the All India Trinamool Congress staged a protest in front of the Block Development Officer’s office in Kaliyaganj, alleging harassment of poor and marginalised people during SIR hearings.
Nitai Baiswa, a member of the North Dinajpur Zilla Parishad, accused officials of “torturing daily wage workers in the name of SIR”. Raiganj MLA Krishna Kalyani said party leaders had met the bereaved family and assured them of support.
Earlier similar incident raises concern
Earlier this month, a 65-year-old scrap trader from Subashganj in Raiganj allegedly died by suicide, reportedly fearing the SIR process. The incidents have sparked criticism of the functioning of the election machinery in the region.