A tragic incident was reported in West Bengal’s Howrah district on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, where a 30-year-old man allegedly died by suicide. A police officer confirmed that the man was reportedly distressed over errors in his identity document amidst the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The deceased was identified as Jahir Mal, a resident of Khalisani in the Uluberia area. He was discovered hanging in his residence in the morning.
Fear of Citizenship Complications
According to statements given to the police by the deceased’s family, Jahir Mal was under severe stress after discovering a spelling mistake in one of his official documents.
- Unsuccessful Efforts: The police officer noted that Jahir Mal had visited the concerned local offices over the past few weeks in an effort to correct the mistake but was unsuccessful in doing so.
- Motive: “Jahir feared that the error could lead to complications in verifying his citizenship or voter eligibility during the SIR process,” the officer stated.
Political Reaction and Allegations
Following the incident, Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Abhishek Banerjee directed minister Pulak Roy to visit the bereaved family. Roy met with the relatives later in the day and assured them of full support from the party.
Banerjee has been vocal about the issue, claiming that this is not an isolated incident. He has alleged that seven people died in West Bengal in a week out of fear that their names would be omitted from the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision process.