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Two Deaths in West Bengal Linked by Families to SIR Voter Roll Anxiety

Police confirmed the deaths, with post-mortems pending to establish cause.

Overview

  • Lakshmikanta Ray, a daily-wage labourer in Kaliaganj, collapsed at Dhankaili market and was declared brought dead at Kaliaganj State General Hospital, police said.
  • His family reported he was distressed after receiving a Special Intensive Revision hearing notice because his name was missing from the 2002 electoral roll, and he was due before the Block Development Officer on January 19.
  • In Baduria, North 24 Parganas, Anita Biswas died after a stroke days after attending an SIR hearing, her family said, and she had been treated at Basirhat District Hospital.
  • Police have sent both bodies for post-mortem examinations and said the cause of death will be determined by medical findings, with investigations ongoing.
  • West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to the chief election commissioner alleging wider harm from the SIR, and a group of booth-level officers protested in Kolkata over workload and compensation, according to PTI.