BLO found dead in Bengal's Nadia, family claims SIR work-related stress

A woman working as a Booth Level Officer (BLO) in West Bengal's Nadia district was found dead at her residence on Saturday morning, with her family members claiming that she had been under considerable SIR work-related stress and died by suicide, police said.

The BLO, identified as Rinku Tarafdar, was found hanging from the ceiling of her room at her residence in the Bangaljhi area of Chapra in Krishnanagar, an officer said.

"The family is claiming that she was under immense pressure due to her SIR workload. We have recovered a note from her room. The body has been sent for postmortem. A necessary probe is underway," the officer added.

State minister Ujjal Biswas visited the residence of the deceased and spoke to her family members.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to halt the ongoing SIR in Bengal.

On Thursday, she wrote to the CEC, asserting that the continuous "unplanned and coercive drive" would endanger more lives and also jeopardise the legitimacy of the exercise.

On Wednesday, a booth-level officer in Jalpaiguri district was found hanging, with her family claiming that "unbearable SIR work pressure" was responsible for her death.