A 46-year-old booth-level officer (BLO) in Uttar Pradesh’s Baheri village died by suicide, allegedly owing to mounting work pressure linked to election-related duties, police said on Sunday. The deceased, identified as Sarvesh Singh, was an assistant teacher posted at a school in Bhagatpur Tanda and had been given BLO responsibilities for the first time on October 7 for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Police said the incident occurred around 4 am, when Singh’s wife, Babli, woke up and did not find her husband beside her. While searching for him, she found him hanging in the storeroom of their home. Circle Officer (Thakurdwara) Ashish Pratap Singh said the body has been sent for post-mortem, and further legal procedures are underway.
“BLO Sarvesh Singh has committed suicide and has left behind a suicide note stating that he is unable to cope with the burden of BLO duty. His body has been sent for post-mortem,” Circle Officer (Thakurdwara) Ashish Pratap Singh was quoted by PTI as saying.
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Singh is survived by his wife and four daughters. The family has not filed any complaint with the police.
‘I want to live but…’
Now, his purported suicide note has been going viral on social media, mentioning that he felt “restless, suffocated and scared” by the work pressure, and did not have sufficient time to finish the work assigned to him.
“Due to not having complete knowledge on this matter, I am unable to meet my targets on time. Even after working hard all day, I am unable to sleep more than two or three hours at night. I have four young daughters, two of whom have been unwell for several days. I am extremely worried, and my mental balance has been disturbed. I feel compelled to take the step of ending my life. I take full responsibility for this. My family is not at fault; in fact, they encouraged me. But I have been defeated,” his “suicide note” as quoted by Dainik Bhaskar, addressed to Basic Education Officer, read.
The purported suicide note, when translated from Hindi to English, read, “I want to live, but what can I do? I am feeling very restless, suffocated and scared. My four little daughters are very innocent. Please take care of them. While writing this, I am feeling a lot of pain.”
It added, “The amount that is due from my service should be given to my wife so that it can become a support in my daughters’ lives. I request that the officers not harass my family after I am gone….”
Singh further wrote, “If there was time, perhaps I would have completed this work (SIR) because this time was not sufficient for me, as I was appointed to the BLO post for the first time in my life,” before adding, “Lots of love to the school children. Study with devotion, my children – I write this with a heavy heart. For some time, I have not been able to do teaching work either. I love children. I love my state. I am sorry.”
He also said that his body should be handed over to his family for the last rites. The note did not hold anyone accountable.
BLO’s viral video
A day before his death, he recorded a video in which he was seen crying uncontrollably and pleading for his children to be looked after. In the video, he said he hadn’t slept for 20 days, took full responsibility for his death, and admitted he was struggling to cope with the SIR work, Bhaskar reported.
“Sister, forgive me… Mother, please take care of my children… I can’t do this anymore. I’m not able to cope. I am not skilled enough – I wish I could… My wife, Babli, please forgive me. I am going far away from your world.
No one else is to be blamed for this. I am alone responsible for this. Do not say anything to my officers; I am deeply troubled. I haven’t slept for 20 days. I have four little daughters.
How can I understand this work when it has not been explained? If I could do it, the task would have been completed. Everyone else is capable, only I couldn’t understand this duty properly,” he said in the viral video.
What did the police say?
According to Moradabad Police, the investigation is being carried out by Bhojpur police. A police officer, quoted by The Indian Express, said, “Despite working hard and barely sleeping two hours a night, he felt extremely troubled. He also mentioned that his mental health was deteriorating and that two of his four daughters were unwell, adding to his distress.”
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In a video statement, Moradabad DM Anuj Singh said that Singh had completed 67 per cent of the SIR work assigned to him and had been carrying out his responsibilities “effectively”.
“Sarvesh Singh’s immediate supervisor, who is also a relative, was in regular contact with him to oversee the progress, and an anganwadi worker had also been assigned to support him in completing the BLO duties,” Anuj Singh added.
Wife alleges lack of proper training
Videos circulating on social media show Singh’s wife alleging that he was given the electoral duties without proper training or guidance, and with no additional support. She said he would work late into the night to complete the assigned tasks, and that she often helped him with the SIR-related work, IE further reported.
The grieving wife also claimed that the overwhelming workload and lack of assistance pushed him to the point where he felt he had no option but to take his own life.
Seven BLOs have died since the SIR work began in Uttar Pradesh. Of these, three died by suicide, three from heart attacks, and one from a brain haemorrhage, Bhaskar reported.
DISCLAIMER: If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health or in distress contact the Vandrevala Foundation’s helpline (+91-9999666555) which is available in 11 languages including English and can be accessed via telephone or WhatsApp 24×7. You can also contact Fortis Hospital’s National Helpline number 91-8376804102 which is available 24×7. You can also contact the Government Mental Health Rehabilitation Helpline ‘KIRAN’ at 18005990019 which is available 24×7. |
