A 57-year-old man died following a cardiac arrest at Tekatuli in the Maynaguri area of Jalpaiguri, with his family alleging that prolonged anxiety related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls triggered the fatal health episode.
Family alleges stress due to SIR notice
The deceased, Nibas Sarkar, had reportedly been under severe mental stress after his son Anik Sarkar received an SIR notice asking him to prove his identity. According to the family, Nibas became increasingly anxious after learning that his own name did not appear in the 2002 SIR list, raising fears about potential disenfranchisement.
Speaking to local media, Anik said the constant worry surrounding the voter verification process deeply affected his father’s health. “It was the tension over SIR that killed my father,” he alleged.
Medical emergency and death
Family members stated that Nibas suffered a cardiac arrest late on Saturday night. He was first taken to Maynaguri Hospital and later referred to Jalpaiguri Government Medical College and Hospital as his condition deteriorated. Despite medical intervention, he passed away on Sunday morning.
Second such death raises concern
Nibas Sarkar’s death comes less than 24 hours after another man reportedly died of cardiac arrest in Mathabhanga, adding to growing unease around the impact of the voter roll revision exercise on vulnerable citizens.
Local leaders from the All India Trinamool Congress visited the bereaved family on Sunday. Bablu Roy, the local panchayat pradhan, held the Election Commission responsible, alleging that the process had created unnecessary fear among ordinary residents.
The incident has intensified political and public debate over the implementation of the SIR process, with demands for a more humane and transparent approach to voter verification.