Man Dies of Heart Attack While Standing in SIR Queue; Family Alleges Stress Over Notice

Kolkata, January 9, 2026: A 38-year-old man suffered a fatal heart attack while standing in a queue for the SIR (Socio-Identity Rectification) process in West Bengal on Thursday. According to his family, Ramzan Ali had been under significant stress ever since receiving an SIR notice, which they believe contributed to his death.

Ramzan Ali, a driver by profession, had accompanied his mother, Salma Begum, to the Barasat Block 2 BDO office to get corrections made to his records under the SIR process. His cousin, Sheikh Ghulam Ali, stated that Ramzan fell ill after standing in the cold for a long time and collapsed on the ground.

Local residents rushed him to the Sumberia Rural Health Center, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Salma Begum told reporters that Ramzan had been extremely worried after receiving the SIR notice, as his name was missing from the 2002 voter list. “He kept asking me whether he would be expelled from the country and where he would go. He even cried,” she said. Despite her attempts to calm him, she accompanied him to the BDO office for the hearing, unaware that he would meet such a tragic end.

State Food and Supply Minister Rathin Ghosh, Midgram Municipality Chairperson Nimai Ghosh, and other local Trinamool Congress leaders visited the bereaved family to offer condolences and assured them of financial assistance. Minister Rathin Ghosh condemned the incident and highlighted that over 50 people have reportedly died due to complications related to the SIR process in the state.