Panic Claims Two More Lives; Toll Rises to 15 due to fear and confusion regarding SIR exercise

Agnihotri Gupta, MP, 11 Nov 2025, Kolkata: Fear and confusion surrounding the SIR exercise continue to cause distress, with two recent deaths being linked by families and locals to the ongoing panic. In Nadia’s Taherpur, 70-year-old Shyamal Kumar Saha of Kalinarayanpur, Mondalpara, reportedly died of severe anxiety following the announcement of the SIR. His wife said Saha—who possessed Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID, and property documents—stopped eating and remained constantly worried after his family discovered that his name was missing from the 2002 voter list. He died at home on Monday morning. Local TMC leaders and Panchayat members visited the bereaved family.

A separate incident reported from Hooghly’s Dhanekhali area, a 28-year-old woman died in what her family links to SIR-related fear. According to reports, the woman—who had married in Hooghly district and whose official documents reportedly remained at her in-laws’ home—did not receive an enumeration form at her current address. The family said she attempted to take her own life a day after allegedly giving poison to her six-year-old daughter. Both were admitted to SSKM Hospital in critical condition, where the woman died on Monday.

Meanwhile, fear has gripped the residents of Char Jajira in Nadia district after more than a thousand villagers discovered that their names are missing from the 2002 voter list and fear being labeled as “foreigners.”

Reportedly, 1,151 people from the riverine island have found themselves excluded from the older voter records, even though they have been casting votes since 2009. Most of the affected residents possess valid documents such as Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and electricity bills. Locals said their ancestors had settled in the Char Jajira area decades ago. Around 200 affected villagers visited the Kalyani Sub-Divisional Office on Thursday seeking clarification and document verification. Officials assured them their concerns would be addressed, with a subdivision officer stating steps would be taken to prevent unnecessary panic.