Sikkim CEO office rejects claims linking two deaths to SIR exercise

The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Sikkim, has rejected claims linking two alleged suicide deaths in the state to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, stating that preliminary police inquiries found no evidence connecting either case with the revision exercise.

The clarification came after Citizen Action Party (CAP) Sikkim president Ganesh Rai alleged in a social media broadcast on Sunday that a Booth Level Officer (BLO) in Pakyong district and an elector in Namchi district had died by suicide due to pressure associated with the SIR process.

Following the allegations, the CEO's office sought factual reports from the concerned Superintendents of Police in Namchi and Pakyong districts.

According to the report submitted by the Senior Superintendent of Police, Namchi, no incident involving the suicide of a female citizen in connection with an SIR hearing has been reported or complained of at any police station in the district.

In the Pakyong case, the Superintendent of Police reported that preliminary findings did not indicate any complaint of excessive workload, undue pressure or harassment by the deceased BLO or his family members to any concerned authority.

The CEO's office said a review of available digital and phone records also found no material linking the death to work-related pressure arising from SIR duties. The post-mortem examination report is awaited and is expected to provide further clarity on the circumstances surrounding the death.

The inquiry into the BLO's death was conducted jointly by the Superintendent of Police, Pakyong; Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Pakyong; and Block Development Officer, Pakyong. The team also interacted with available witnesses and relatives of the deceased.

Based on the preliminary inquiry, the authorities found no association between the death and duties related to the SIR exercise.

The CEO office's statement comes amid heightened public and political attention surrounding the electoral roll revision exercise, with the authorities emphasising that claims linking individual deaths to SIR-related pressure should be verified through official investigations before being circulated.