BLO on SIR duty attempts suicide in UP's Meerut; family alleges harassment by supervisor

A booth-level officer (BLO) deployed for special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Meerut allegedly attempted suicide by consuming poison due to alleged harassment and excessive workload, officials and family members said on Wednesday.

The officer, identified as Mohit Chaudhary (35), a resident of Murlipura village under Mundali police station limits and a senior assistant in the Irrigation Department, was also handling BLO-ICD duties in the Pallavpuram area.

He was rushed to a private hospital on Garh Road late Tuesday night and later referred to Lokpriya Hospital in serious condition.

Family members claimed Chaudhary had been under severe stress for several days due to dual responsibilities and a heavy workload. They alleged that a tehsil-level supervisor, Ashish Sharma, had been repeatedly pressuring him over the progress of forms and threatening suspension and registration of an FIR.

According to the family, Chaudhary consumed pesticide after reaching home Tuesday night.

His wife, Jyoti, said he would leave home early in the morning and return late at night, adding that he had not been eating properly and had been mentally distressed for many days.

Soon after the incident, union representatives and fellow BLOs reached the hospital and staged a protest, accusing the supervisor of harassment.

They alleged that BLOs were bearing the maximum workload under the ongoing SIR exercise but were still being subjected to pressure and threats by officials.

The union warned of agitation if action was not taken against those responsible.

Additional City Magistrate Deepak Kathuria, Naib Tehsildar Aadesh Singh and police personnel reached the hospital and urged the protesting employees to maintain peace. Officials also met the family and assured a thorough inquiry into the incident.

District Election Officer and DM V K Singh told PTI in the morning that Chaudhary’s condition was now stable and said the reason for the suicide attempt would be clear after an inquiry.

“The reason behind the act will be clear after the inquiry. Since the SIR drive is underway, people tend to link everything to it, but domestic or other issues could also be involved,” he said.

The DM also suggested that workload pressure did not appear evident, as preliminary findings indicated Chaudhary had already completed over 70 per cent of his assigned work.