A 46-year-old Booth-Level Officer (BLO) in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad allegedly died by suicide at his home, with police citing work pressure linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Series of Suicides Sparks Political Outcry
In recent weeks, several BLOs across multiple states have reportedly died by suicide, attributing their distress to heavy workloads and pressure from senior officials. The incidents come as voter roll revision continues across 12 states, including West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.
Victim Identified As Teacher On First Poll Duty
The deceased, Sarvesh Singh, was an assistant teacher who had been assigned BLO responsibilities on 7 October, marking his first election-related duty. BLOs serve as frontline officers assisting the public with election forms and uploading information into official databases.
Distressing Video Recorded Before Death
A video recorded by Singh before his death shows him crying and overwhelmed, saying he could not complete his assignment despite persistent efforts. In the clip, he apologises to his mother and sister and urges them to care for his young daughters.
“Mother, please take care of my daughters. Please forgive me. I could not complete the task. I am going to take a drastic step,” he says in the video. He adds that no one should be held responsible for his decision and requests that his family not be questioned.
“I am in deep distress. I haven’t slept for the last 20 days. I have four young daughters. Others are able to complete the work, but I am not,” he says, sobbing. Addressing his sister, he adds, “I am going far away from this world. Sorry, sister. In my absence, please take care of my children.”
Suicide Note Points To SIR Workload
According to officials, Singh’s wife found him hanging in a storage room early Sunday morning and alerted police. A handwritten, two-page suicide note addressed to the district Basic Education Officer was recovered at the scene.
“I have been working day and night but am unable to meet the SIR targets. My nights have become unbearable due to anxiety. I barely sleep for two to three hours. I have four daughters, two of whom are unwell. Please forgive me,” the note said.
Senior police officer Ashish Pratap Singh confirmed the contents of the note and stated that further legal procedures were underway.
Family Alleges Intense Stress From SIR Duties
Family members said Singh had been under severe strain due to continuous surveys, data checks and fast-paced reporting duties required for the SIR exercise, which is being carried out across several states.
Administration Confirms Death, Promises Support
District Magistrate Anuj Kumar Singh said preliminary findings indicated death by suicide and praised the teacher’s diligence. “His quality of work was excellent. Anganwadi employees were deployed to assist him. Both administrative and police probes are underway. We will extend every possible support to the family,” he stated.
Election Commission Extends SIR Timeline
On Sunday, the Election Commission of India extended the SIR schedule by a week, giving voters more time to verify entries in the electoral rolls. BLOs and Booth-Level Agents (BLAs) have also been granted an additional seven days to submit lists of absent, shifted, deceased or duplicate voters.