A man, identified as Anarul Sheikh (32) from Nalhati in Birbhum district, reportedly died by suicide after his name was deleted from the voter list in West Bengal. Sheikh had faced severe mental stress upon discovering his exclusion following the Special Intensive Revision exercise. His family claimed he consumed poison, leading to his demise, sparking anger among villagers who criticized the Election Commission for inadequate screening in the removal process.
Locals revealed that Anarul Sheikh, a resident of Nalhati Municipality, had his name ‘under adjudication’ in the voter list. Despite submitting necessary documents upon receiving a notice, he collapsed at the Rampurhat Subdivisional Office due to mental strain. Allegedly, Sheikh took his own life by consuming poison upon returning home, succumbing to the act en route to the hospital.
Anarul Sheikh, survived by two sons, left the community in mourning. Villagers expressed concerns over the arbitrary exclusion of common people’s names in the voter list, attributing such incidents to flaws in the verification process under the Special Intensive Revision. They threatened to boycott elections if the situation persists, questioning the integrity of the ongoing process.
The community’s discontent with the exclusion process has heightened, with accusations of inadequate verification leading to tragic outcomes. Villagers emphasized the loss of innocent lives due to the alleged negligence in scrutinizing voter list exclusions. Additionally, they reiterated their warning of boycotting future elections unless significant changes are implemented to address the current issues.
Police have initiated a postmortem examination following the tragic incident involving Anarul Sheikh’s suicide, aiming to ascertain the cause of death and gather further details surrounding the case.
