A war of words erupted in West Bengal Wednesday between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Opposition BJP over the alleged suicide of a man after his name was on the adjudication list following the publication of the final voters list as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Rafiq Ali Gazi, 44, a van-puller and resident of Ghola Nayapara in the Magrahat West constituency, died allegedly by suicide Tuesday night. His family alleged that Rafiq was pushed to the brink by the fear of losing his voting rights.
Officers from the Usti police station reached his home at around 8 pm and took his body to Diamond Harbour Medical College and Hospital for autopsy as tension gripped the area. The TMC took to the streets with the body and protested, demanding justice for the family.
The family claimed that Rafiq had voted multiple times in the past and that his name was on the electoral roll. However, after the SIR process, a stamp reading “under scrutiny” was marked next to his name in the voter list. Since then, Rafiq had reportedly been deeply disturbed. According to his family, he was suffering from severe anxiety due to the fear of losing his voting rights and facing administrative complications.
The family filed an FIR at the Usti police station against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Bengal Chief Election Officer Manoj Agarwal, alleging “unnecessary harassment and mental pressure”.
Police sources said a case of unnatural death has been registered, and an investigation is underway. They said that no final conclusion can be drawn until the post-mortem report is received. They also confirmed that the family’s allegations are being examined.
Submitted papers for a second time, says wife
Amina Bibi, the wife of the deceased, told the media, “His papers came back first. He fell to the ground in despair and filled out the forms correctly, then submitted them. However, his name appeared again on the adjudication list, which led him to take his own life. I want to ensure that this does not happen to anyone else. The government should make certain that all paperwork is correct.”
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The TMC has seized the moment to highlight what they call a “ruthless BJP-ECI nexus” targeting marginalised communities.
TMC MLA Sovan Deb Chatterjee told the media, “It is an unfortunate incident, and due to the SIR, genuine voters are losing their lives.”
TMC youth wing president Imran Khan said, “The Commission has placed many eligible voters on the ‘under scrutiny’ list, following the BJP’s agenda. Rafiq was mentally distraught because of this, and he died due to the fear caused by the SIR process. We demand a thorough investigation and appropriate action against the Commission.”
In a post on X, the TMC said, “In yet another devastating incident, a hardworking van-puller from Usthi, Magrahat ended his life in despair upon learning that his name had been placed under “adjudication” in the final SIR voter list…”
In yet another devastating incident, a hardworking van-puller from Usthi, Magrahat ended his life in despair upon learning that his name had been placed under “adjudication” in the final SIR voter list. A man who toiled daily to survive has been robbed of his basic democratic… pic.twitter.com/1l1zSg7hEw
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) March 4, 2026
“Bengal will not forget this tragedy. We will continue the fight on every front until every stolen vote is restored and every life lost is honoured with justice.”
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Rebutting the TMC arguments, Rahul Sinha, former BJP state president, told the media, “TMC is behaving like vultures looking for the dead. We condemn such actions.”
BJP leader Sufal Khatu said, “The incident is extremely unfortunate. However, before the investigation is complete, Trinamool is weaving stories around the SIR for political gain. If the administration conducts a neutral probe, the truth will come out.”
He alleged that many deceased voters’ names were removed due to the SIR process, leading Trinamool to see the ‘ghost of SIR’ in everything and attempting to politicise Rafiq’s death.
