Stress and Tragedy at the Polling Booth: The Utpal Thakur Story

A booth-level officer, Utpal Thakur, died of a heart attack in West Bengal, allegedly due to work pressure from the SIR exercise. His family claims the stress of managing electoral roles led to his untimely death, highlighting intense pressures faced by electoral officers during voter list revisions.

A 54-year-old booth-level officer, Utpal Thakur, passed away due to a heart attack in West Bengal's Malda district, with his family suspecting overwhelming work pressure as the cause. Employed at booth number 93 in Nadapara, Thakur was stressed by the SIR exercise, according to his family.

Thakur, also a para-teacher, faced immense pressure as 110 voters in his booth were in 'under adjudication' status post-SIR. This stress, they allege, led to his heart attack. Despite the voter list being published on February 28, queries regarding the supplementary list persisted, placing further burdens on him.

According to locals, confusion about the Election Commission's procedures compounded the problem, as affected voters approached Thakur with concerns about document uploads. The incident underscores significant challenges and stresses electoral officers face during such extensive voter list updates.

(With inputs from agencies.)