Jadavpur BLO’s widow files abetment to suicide complaint, alleges SIR pressure

Kolkata: Following the death by suicide of BLO Ashok Das in Purba Jadavpur on Thursday morning, the deceased's widow, Sudipta Das, on Friday filed a complaint for abetment to suicide.She claimed that her husband took his own life due to excessive pressure related to SIR in Bengal. Purba Jadavpur cops have registered a case under BNS 108 and started a probe.
According to them, a suicide note was found, written on a piece of white paper on a table. The note stated that he could not cope with the pressure from the SIR and that his health was deteriorating, leading him to leave this world to join his parents. The family earlier denied any knowledge about the suicide note. Ashok was an assistant teacher at Baharu High School in the Joynagar area. Additionally, he was serving as a BLO for booth 110 at Chitkalikapur FP School in Purba Jadavpur. "An FIR was recorded on the basis of a plaint by Sudipta Das (43), wife of Mukundapur BLO Ashok Das of Ahalayanagar, where she alleged that her husband, being a BLO, died by suicide at his residence on Jan 15 due to the work pressure created by SIR," said DC (East) Arish Bilal.Sudipta accused the EC on Friday. She wrote clearly in her complaint, "There was a lot of mental stress after taking on the responsibilities of a BLO." A police source revealed that the cops recovered a ‘suicide note' from Ashok's room, which also mentioned ‘work pressure', stating, "I can't handle the pressure of SIR. My health is deteriorating. So I am leaving this world to be with my parents." Colleagues reported that he continued his teaching duties at the school alongside his election-related responsibilities. Refuting allegations of threats, Trinamool councillor Ananya Bandyopadhyay had said on Thursday, "I knew him. We have family acquaintances. We even honoured him on Teacher's Day. I am shocked by his death. There is no politics in this incident. In Ahalyanagar's part 110, there are 973 voters. Most of their SIR work is over, and hearings have been conducted. So it doesn't seem there was any pressure on him. In my area, there are 57 parts, have any of the 57 BLOs complained? A BJP councillor and a BJP BLA 2 have complained. That BJP BLA 2 is not from this area, and the councillor often makes various allegations against me."Abhishek Banerjee, general secretary of Trinamool, inquired about the family of Das. He sent local netas to his home and the Trinamool leadership assured the family of their support.On Thursday morning, Das's family found his body hanging at home. He was a resident of Ahallyanagar in Mukundapur, Purba Jadavpur. On Thursday, the deceased BLO's kin mentioned the pressure related to the SIR and suggested that the cause of death should be investigated. On Thursday, Bengal BJP had released an audio conversation on its X handle in which his wife was heard claiming that a local Trinamool worker (BLA), at the instigation of the local Trinamool councillor, threatened the victim not to delete names from her part for the ongoing SIR.