Kolkata man who fled Bangladesh in 1972 found dead, family claims he feared NRC deportation

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A 63-year-old resident of Bansdroni in Kolkata, who had migrated from Bangladesh to Bengal with his parents in 1972, was found dead at his home on Sunday morning.

Police said the man, identified as Dilip Saha, died by hanging. His family has alleged that extreme anxiety over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and State Investigation Report (SIR) might have pushed him to take the drastic step, The Times of India reported.

However, investigators said there was no mention of NRC in the suicide note found at the spot. “In the note, he clearly stated that he was holding no one responsible for his death,” a police officer was quoted by India Today as saying. A case of unnatural death has been registered, and the body was sent to MR Bangur Hospital for post-mortem.

Saha worked as a Group D employee in a private school in Dhakuria. He had allegedly migrated to Kolkata from Nawabganj, Bangladesh, in 1972. According to his wife, Arati, Saha had been very disturbed lately and was spending most of his time watching news channels. “He was extremely worried about NRC. He often told me, ‘When they come, they will take us away. What will happen to you if I am gone? They will send you to Bangladesh and lock you up.’ I tried to reassure him that nothing of that sort would happen, but he did not believe me,” she said.

For the past week, Saha had not stepped out of the house. He was staying in his son’s room as his son and daughter-in-law were away visiting relatives. On Saturday night, he had dinner with his wife and went to bed as usual. The next morning, around 7.40 am, his wife called out to him several times but got no response. She then sought help from their niece, Pinky, who lived next door. Pinky, along with some locals, broke open the door and found Saha hanging. The police were immediately informed.

Neighbours said Saha had been suffering from neurological problems for years and was under treatment. Police confirmed that he had also been battling depression for the past two years and had frequent panic attacks, which his family had noticed even before the NRC debate, during events such as the ‘Operation Sindoor’ and the Ukraine-Russia war.

Meanwhile, the incident has sparked a war of words between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). TMC minister Bratya Basu alleged that Saha’s death was the result of the “humiliation and depression” inflicted by the BJP’s “selective targeting” of Bengali Hindus through NRC-related activities.

Replying to Basu’s remarks, BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul accused the ruling state government of politicising the tragedy.

“Since the suicide note does not mention NRC, this is another attempt by the TMC to create fear among Hindus and Muslims alike. Even genuine Indian Muslim citizens will not be affected by NRC,” she was quoted by India Today as saying.