Families in West Bengal have filed formal police complaints against top election officials, holding them responsible for the deaths of two elderly voters. The tragic incidents occurred on Monday, shortly after the individuals received hearing notices related to discrepancies in the electoral rolls.
Technical Glitch Leads to Tragic Consequences
The heart of the controversy lies in a significant technical error. The Election Commission of India (ECI) acknowledged in a December 27 notification that approximately 1.3 lakh voters were affected. Their names correctly appeared on the physical 2002 State Intensive Revision (SIR) rolls but were missing from the online database uploaded to the EC's website. This glitch triggered the issuance of hearing notices to these voters.
In Purulia, 82-year-old Durjan Majhi received such a notice. His son, Kanai Majhi, alleged that while his father's name was on the physical 2002 SIR list, it was absent from the online version. Hours before his scheduled hearing, the distressed octogenarian died by suicide by jumping before a moving train.
Families Allege Mental Duress and Official Mismanagement
A parallel tragedy unfolded in Howrah. Jamat Ali Sekh, a 64-year-old resident, also passed away on Monday after receiving a hearing notice. His son has accused the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and West Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal of misusing their power. The complaint states that the officials put his father, a valid voter, under severe mental duress, which ultimately caused his death.
The police complaints directly name CEC Gyanesh Kumar and CEO Manoj Agarwal, alleging their actions and the system's failure led to these fatalities. However, an Election Commission official has pushed back against the legal action. The official stated, "No FIR can be lodged against the CEC. The law is specific on this. A CEO too cannot be blamed for any criminal offence while discharging his duties. Any FIR drawn by police will have legal consequences."
A Disturbing Pattern Emerges
Adding to the grim tally, a third case was reported on Tuesday. 75-year-old Bimal Shee from East Midnapore district was found dead by hanging in his house. His family members confirmed he was deeply distraught after receiving a similar hearing notice from the election authorities.
These incidents have cast a harsh spotlight on the administrative processes of the Election Commission during the revision of electoral rolls. They raise serious questions about the handling of sensitive data and the communication protocols for elderly citizens, especially when known technical errors are involved.
