File photo of the National Human Rights Commission office.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
The ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across several States has imposed an “inhuman workload and coercive pressure” on booth-level officers (BLOs) and other poll officials, resulting in multiple cardiac arrests, collapses and deaths, according to a complaint filed with the National Human Rights Commission on Tuesday (November 25, 2025).
The complaint, submitted by Mumbai-based advocate Hitendra D. Gandhi, also warns of large-scale wrongful deletion of voters’ names, calling the situation a “moment of deep constitutional danger.”
According to the complaint, multiple verified news reports from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala, and other States show a disturbing pattern. It said that BLOs, mostly school teachers and clerks, are collapsing or taking their own lives under State-imposed pressures, while lakhs of citizens find their names missing from electoral rolls.
Multiple deaths
The document refers to cases such as Arvind Vadher in Gujarat, Ramakant Pandey in Madhya Pradesh, Rinku Tarafdar in West Bengal, and Aneesh George in Kerala, among others. Media analyses cited in the complaint note that at least 15 BLOs have died in six States within 19 days, some by suicide and others due to heart attacks or accidents during SIR duty.
The complaint urges the NHRC to treat the matter as fit for suo motu cognizance under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. It seeks urgent reports from the Election Commission of India and State authorities on deaths, health incidents, duty orders and voter deletions, and recommends interim measures such as humane caps on working hours, exemption for high-risk staff, withdrawal of coercive suspension threats, medical and psychological support, and recalibration of timelines. It also calls for compensation for affected families and the framing of National Guidelines on Human Rights–Compliant Conduct of SIR, along with an independent audit of all deletions and alterations in electoral rolls during the current revision.
“The design and enforcement of SIR as presently implemented evidence systemic negligence in the prevention of human rights violations,” the complaint stated, warning that coercive practices and mass disenfranchisement amount to violations of the right to life, dignity and democratic participation.
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Published – November 25, 2025 11:02 pm IST
