FIR filed against ECI by Bengal police over ‘suicide fearing SIR’ issue

Kolkata: The Para Police Station in West Bengal's Purulia district has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the Election Commission of India in connection with the alleged suicide of an 82-year-old man, reportedly due to fear of a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearing. 

The case was registered based on a general diary filed by the deceased tribal man's son, Kanai Majhi, the police said on Wednesday.

According to Purulia district police sources, the Para police station filed a case against the Election Commission on Tuesday for "abetment of suicide and criminal conspiracy".

The FIR mentioned "unknown officials and officials of the Election Commission of India," the police said.

On December 29, Durjan Majhi, a resident of Chautala village in Anara Gram Panchayat of Para block, told his family he was going out to reserve a Toto (battery-powered auto-rickshaw). He then committed "suicide" on the railway tracks near his house. He had a SIR hearing scheduled at the Para block office that same day. ​​

As the elderly man committed "suicide" just hours before the SIR hearing, his son, Kanai Majhi, a daily wage labourer, filed a complaint against the Election Commission at the Para police station that same night. However, only a general diary was registered based on that complaint. Now, a case has been registered against the Election Commission.

Trinamool Congress state general secretary and Para Assembly constituency coordinator Sujoy Banerjee said, "The elderly tribal man died due to the Election Commission. He died out of fear of the SIR hearing. The Election Commission is responsible for this incident. There is a criminal conspiracy involved. I hope the police will conduct a proper investigation."

The filing of a case against the Election Commission has sparked widespread speculation in the district's political circles.

Meanwhile, in Patharkata village of Manbazar, a 32-year-old tribal youth, Debraj Orang, committed "suicide" on Sunday night after receiving a hearing notice due to a logical discrepancy in his voters' registration information.

According to family sources, his family will also file a complaint against the Election Commission for abetting the suicide.

Gurupada Tudu, senior vice-president of the Purulia district Trinamool Congress and a tribal leader, said, "The tribal youth committed suicide due to the provocation of the Election Commission. As soon as the atmosphere of grief in their family subsides somewhat, the family will file a complaint against the Commission at the Manbazar police station."