Family claims elderly woman’s self-immolation linked to anxiety over SIR

A senior police officer said the woman, identified as Jamuna Mandal (67), was living with her family. According to the officer, her family claimed that her anxiety increased after the SIR process began.

Post Published By: Sujata Biswal

Updated : 18 November 2025, 6:11 PM IST

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Kolkata: An elderly woman from the Kudghat area in the south of the city set herself on fire, allegedly panicking over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list. Police said on Tuesday.

A senior police officer said the woman, identified as Jamuna Mandal (67), was living with her family. According to the officer, her family claimed that her anxiety increased after the SIR process began.

Woman committed suicide due to panic over SIR
"Preliminary investigation suggests that the woman was upset because she had not received her enumeration form," he said. He said Mandal, a long-time resident of the Dhalai Bridge and New Putiary Udayachal areas in Ward 114 of South Kolkata, allegedly set herself on fire in her home.

He said, "She was taken to MR Bangur Hospital with severe burn injuries, where she later died. Her body has been sent for a post-mortem." He said the police have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the woman's death.

SIR had increased anxiety
Recently, reports of deaths allegedly related to anxiety over the SIR process have emerged from several districts, including North 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, Birbhum, and Nadia. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has initiated the SIR process in various states, including Bengal.

SIR involves door-to-door verification, with the aim of removing "duplicate" voters from the list, removing the names of deceased voters, and adding new eligible voters.