Bhubaneswar: A school headmaster deployed as a Booth Level Officer (BLO) for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls allegedly died by suicide in Odisha’s Boudh district.
The deceased has been identified as Sayan Sahu, headmaster of Dimirikhol School at Gochapada village. In addition to his regular responsibilities as a school headmaster, Sahu was assigned BLO duties for the SIR exercise.
According to family members, Sahu had been under considerable mental strain as higher officials allegedly pressured him over the progress of SIR work in his jurisdiction. They claimed he was warned of disciplinary action, including suspension, for allegedly failing to perform the assigned duties satisfactorily. The Boudh administration had reportedly suspended two teachers, two days earlier, for negligence in SIR-related work and Sahu feared facing similar action, his son Krushna Chandra Sahu told the media.
“My father was under severe mental pressure due to the SIR work. He was around 55 years old and lack of proper roads in the area delayed the work. Fear of suspension could be the reason behind his death by suicide,” he stated, adding that Sahu consumed poison on Thursday.
Sahu was initially admitted to the Baunshuni Community Health Centre (CHC). As his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to the district headquarters hospital in Sonepur, where doctors declared him dead. Police seized the body and sent it for postmortem, while launching a probe into the incident.
Krushna Chandra has demanded action against the official he holds responsible for creating the circumstances that allegedly led to his father’s mental distress and subsequent suicide.
Reacting to the allegations, Boudh Sub-Collector Binaya Kumar Bhoi said he could not comment on the specific reason behind the suicide. However, he acknowledged that the SIR work assigned to the deceased was not being carried out properly.
