‘They’ll take us to Bangladesh’: Kolkata man hangs self over ‘NRC-SIR’ anxiety; cops say he panicked during Operation Sindoor too | Kolkata News

KOLKATA: A 63-year-old Bansdroni resident, who had crossed over to Bengal from Bangladesh in 1972 with his parents, was found hanging at his home on Sunday morning, prompting his family to allege that “extreme anxiety” over NRC and SIR had prompted him to kill himself.Locals claimed that Dilip Kumar Saha’s anxiety increased after his youngest son came to Kolkata from Bangladesh recently. Lalbazar, however, denied any recent cross-border migration of Saha’s family members. A suicide note was recovered, in which Saha blamed no one for his death. He worked as a Group D employee at a private school in Dhakuria and had reportedly migrated from Nawabganj, Bangladesh, to Kolkata in 1972.“He was extremely worried about the NRC and used to stay glued to news channels,” said Dilip’s wife Arati. “He kept saying that when they come, they will take us away. ‘What will happen to you if I am gone? They will take you to Bangladesh, lock you up…’ he used to say. I told him again and again that nothing like that would happen. But he wouldn’t listen.”Saha was found hanging in his son’s room at their Anandapally West home in Bansdroni around 7.40 am, police said. The body was sent to MR Bangur Hospital for autopsy. An unnatural death case has been lodged.According to his family, Saha confined himself to his house for the past week, spending most of his time watching television. Locals said he stayed with his wife, son, and daughter-in-law. Family members reported that the son and daughter-in-law were away for three days, visiting the in-laws. Therefore, Saha was staying in his son’s room. On Saturday night, after having dinner, he went to sleep.On Sunday morning, despite his wife’s repeated calls, Saha did not respond. She then called their niece, Pinky, from the neighbouring house. Pinky, with the help of locals, broke the door and discovered Saha’s body hanging. Police were immediately informed.Some locals indicated that the man was suffering from a neurological problem for several years and was undergoing treatment.According to a police officer, “Saha was under depression and faced neurological issues for the past two years. His panic attacks were noticed even earlier, not just during the Sindoor operations but also during the Ukraine-Russia war. The family has not yet lodged any written complaint.”