A complaint has been filed in Purulia against the Chief Election Commissioner and West Bengal CEO after an elderly man’s death was linked by family members to fear over an SIR hearing.

A police complaint has been registered in West Bengal’s Purulia district against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the state’s Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal, following the death of an elderly man whose family has linked the incident to fear surrounding a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearing.

According to police officials, the complaint was filed by the family of Durjan Majhi, a resident of Chautala village in the Para Assembly constituency. Relatives alleged that Majhi had been under severe mental stress after receiving information about a proposed SIR hearing, despite having completed the required enumeration process. His body was later found on nearby railway tracks, triggering local tension and protests.

The family has accused election authorities of causing mental harassment and abetment, claims that are now part of the police record. Political reactions followed swiftly, with the Trinamool Congress’s student wing alleging harassment during the SIR exercise, while leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party dismissed the allegation, calling the death an unfortunate coincidence unrelated to the revision process.

Analysis: The incident has intensified scrutiny of how voter verification drives are conducted on the ground, particularly among elderly and vulnerable citizens. Clear communication and humane outreach may be crucial to prevent fear and misinformation during