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‘He neither ate dinner nor slept’: Family points to workload, pressure after suspended BLO’s death in Madhya Pradesh

His death came a day after he was suspended for alleged negligence related to his SIR work

3 min readBhopalUpdated: Nov 22, 2025 07:45 AM IST

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The document further noted, “He has displayed serious negligence and apathy towards an important and time-bound election duty, which is contrary to official responsibilities and falls under the category of serious misconduct.”

The family of a booth level officer (BLO) in Madhya Pradesh’s Jhabua district, who collapsed and died a day after he was suspended for alleged negligence of duties, claimed that he was under immense pressure related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

Bhuvan Singh Chauhan was an assistant teacher in Soliya village. His daughter, Sangeeta Chauhan, said her father had intense workload after taking on duties as a BLO. “He was facing issues as there was pressure to survey at least 100 voters daily. On the day he was suspended, he couldn’t bear the pressure. He died on Wednesday,” she said.

Also read | Fourth BLO death in a month: Officer on SIR duty dies of heart attack in Rajasthan, kin allege work pressure

Family members said Chauhan neither ate dinner nor slept the night after his suspension on Tuesday. His wife, Mishri Chauhan, described his final hours, saying, “He suddenly felt dizzy and collapsed from the stairs. He was immediately taken to the Community Health Centre in Bori, where doctors declared him dead.”

The order suspending Chauhan said, “All Booth Level Officers were instructed to conduct door-to-door surveys for the intensive revision of the voter roll, with tasks set according to the 1 January 2026 qualifying date. Despite receiving notifications and training for this work, the designated officer, Bhuvansingh Chauhan, for polling station in Soliya, did not attend sessions or perform the required EFS digitisation, leaving progress at only three percent.”

Also read | At half-way mark, as BLOs struggle against deadline, 16% of forms digitised

“Due to serious negligence and apathy towards election duty, disobedience of senior orders, and government work by the BLO, his act is proved to be a clear violation of Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950,” the order said.

Jhabua sub-divisional magistrate Bhaskar Gachle said the suspension followed a complaint received from the Naib Tehsildar, who reported Chauhan’s alleged repeated absence and failure to perform election duties.

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The incident comes amid widespread reports of pressure on teachers tasked with SIR work. On November 11, in a separate case in Datia, a teacher reportedly died by suicide on school grounds, with the family blaming similar SIR-linked stress.

Across districts, authorities have taken action against lagging BLOs — nine have been suspended in Sagar district alone for SIR lapses, alongside issuance of showcause notices to three SDMs and 15 tehsildars over tardy or negligible progress in the survey.

Anand Mohan J

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More

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