A 75-year-old man died due to cardiac arrest while attending a hearing related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Birbhum district on Saturday morning.
The deceased, identified as Kanchan Kumar Mondal, had received a notice for an SIR hearing and accordingly appeared at the Rampurhat-1 Block Office along with his wife.
According to locals, Mondal arrived at the hearing center earlier in the day with all the documents asked from him. He was waiting in a long queue in front of the BDO office when he suddenly fell ill. Those present rushed to his rescue and called for help. As there was a delay, the BDO provided his vehicle. Kanchan was taken to Rampurhat Government Medical College where doctors declared him dead.
According to hospital sources, Mondal died due to cardiac arrest. However, his wife and family alleged that he had fallen ill due to excessive stress related to the SIR process, and they held the Election Commission responsible for his death. A similar allegation has also been made by the ruling Trinamool Congress.
Lashing out at the BJP-led Centre over the SIR drive and subsequent deletion of names of some voters, Trinamool Congress MLA Asish Banerjee said, “People are being targeted for speaking Bengali. We saw what happened to Sonali Biwi, she and her family were pushed back to Bangladesh. This is what they (Centre) are doing. But justice will prevail.”
Hitting back, BJP Birbhum district president Uday Shankar Banerjee said, “It really does not matter what the TMC says as the ECI is an independent agency and they are doing their job.”
A similar incident occurred in Howrah on Friday. An elderly man, Madan Ghosh, died due to cardiac arrest while attending a SIR-related hearing at the Bally Jagacha Block Office in Domjur.
Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.
Experience
Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness.
Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances.
Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including:
State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies.
Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues.
Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).
Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More
