Two BLOs Die by Suicide in Kerala and Rajasthan Amid SIR Process, Allegedly Citing Work Pressure

In case of the death in Kerala, the administration has denied link between the voter roll revisions and alleged suicide. In Rajasthan, the victim's brother has claimed to have found a suicide note citing it as a reason.

The Wire Staff

two blos die by suicide in kerala and rajasthan amid sir process allegedly citing work pressure

Representative image of booth level officers distributing enumeration forms to voters amid the SIR of electoral rolls. Photo: PTI

New Delhi: Two persons working as booth level officers (BLOs) in Kerala and Rajasthan have died by suicide allegedly due to high pressure at work related to the ongoing special intensive revision of voter rolls.

In Kerala’s Kannur, 44-year-old Aneesh George, a school office assistant was found dead in his home on Sunday (November 16), The Indian Express reported.

According to his family, George was overwhelmed by the intense work to meet the deadlines for the enumeration task at his booth.

However, in a press release, the Kannur district administration has rejected this claim saying, “At no stage were special targets, pressures, or deadlines issued to him.”

George was assigned to the 18th booth in Payyannur, a taluk in Kannur district, but was struggling with distributing the enumeration forms because he was not familiar with the area, Express quoted a friend as saying.

Another friend told the newspaper that George had also sought assistance from booth-level agents of political parties but they were not helpful.

The administration has said that out of a total of 1065 enumeration forms in the 18th booth, 825 had been distributed and 240 were initially shown pending on the portal. This was updated on the morning of November 15, when the electoral registration officer confirmed that only 50 forms remained to be distributed, as the others had already been delivered but were not updated digitally.

“As on 16 November 2025 at 8:00 AM, the district-level progress in EF distribution stood at 87.28% against the state average of 91.26%, while Payyannur Constituency had achieved 84.03%. The BLO's progress, with around 22.54% of work remaining, was consistent with both district and constituency levels. At no stage were special targets, pressures, or deadlines issued to him,” the administration stated.

It added that based on the preliminary findings, no link was found between SIR duties and the BLO's death. "Based on information currently available from both police and administrative inquiries, no linkage has been established between SIR-related duties and the unfortunate death of the BLO. The cause of the suicide remains unclear pending further investigation," the statement read.

Mathrubhumi reported that the state’s chief electoral officer Rathan U Kelkar said that the voter roll revision process is typically completed within a 31-day window and no prior complaints of excessive pressure had been reported.

Meanwhile, the president of Kankol-Alappadamba panchayat, of which Aneesh George was a resident, has also countered the administration’s assessment.

M.V. Sunil Kumar, the panchayat president, told The Hindu that George had been under “extreme pressure”, adding that he repeatedly told superiors he “was unable to cope with the responsibilities assigned” and that despite this, officials insisted the work had to be completed.

In Rajasthan

A similar incident was reported from Rajasthan’s Nahri Ka Bas where 45-year-old Mukesh Jangid, a government school teacher and BLO, died allegedly by suicide on Sunday.

While details are not yet clear, according to Bindayaka SHO Vinod Verma, he allegedly jumped in front of a train near the Bindayaka railway crossing.

Jangid’s brother Gajanand claimed to have found his brother's suicide note, in which he allegedly wrote that he was under stress due to SIR duties and that his supervisor was pressuring him and threatening suspension, the PTI report said.

A report by The Times of India stated that Jangid was a resident of Kalwad village in Jaipur district and was assigned the city's Jhotwara area for BLO work.

Jangid's death has sparked concern among teacher groups, who have alleged growing pressure on field functionaries in the ongoing SIR process.

In a statement, Rajasthan Primary and Secondary Teachers' Association president Vipin Prakash Sharma said that the race to top the SIR rankings, at the state, district and subdivision levels, is resulting in excessive pressure on BLOs, PTI reported.

Sharma also informed that the association will submit a memorandum to the chief minister, demanding that officials refrain from putting undue pressure on BLOs, especially at a time when half-yearly school examinations are about to begin.

If you know someone – friend or family member – at risk of suicide, please reach out to them. The Suicide Prevention India Foundation maintains a list of telephone numbers they can call to speak in confidence. Icall, a counselling service run by TISS, has maintained a crowdsourced list of therapists across the country. You could also take them to the nearest hospital.

This article went live on November seventeenth, two thousand twenty five, at forty-one minutes past seven in the evening.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.