Kolkata: A sexagenarian man was found hanging at his home in Uttar Dinajpur district on Thursday, January 8, with his family claiming that he was under severe mental stress after receiving a notice for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearing.
The 64-year-old deceased man has been identified as Bablu Pal, a resident of the Palpara area under Raiganj Police Station limits, police said.
“Pal was found hanging in his house in the early hours of today [Thursday]. After getting information, our officers reached his residence and recovered the body, which was sent to Raiganj Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem examination. An investigation has been initiated,” a police officer said.
Family members alleged that Pal had been under mental stress after receiving a notice for a hearing related to the second phase of the SIR of the electoral rolls. They claimed that the deceased feared his name might be deleted from the voter list and that he could be declared an illegal migrant.
A suicide note was recovered from the room, family members said, though police have not officially confirmed its contents.
Pal, a scrap dealer by profession, is survived by his wife and a daughter, who is scheduled to appear for her Madhyamik (Class 10) examinations starting February 2.
Local Trinamool Congress MLA Krishna Kalyani visited the residence of Pal and met the bereaved family.
Speaking to reporters, he blamed the Election Commission for the incident, alleging that fear surrounding the SIR process has led to extreme distress among residents.
Raiganj Superintendent of Police (SP) Sonowane Kuldeep Suresh said the exact cause of death would be confirmed after the post-mortem report is received.
“It is not possible to state the cause of death conclusively until the autopsy report is available,” the SP said.
