Elderly bedridden voter brought to SIR hearing in wheelchair amid strict EC rules

A seriously ill woman was forced to attend a SIR hearing in a wheelchair despite having a broken leg, sparking outrage over lack of empathy in the process. The incident occurred in the Saptagram Panchayat area of Chunchura block in Hooghly district.

Noorjahan Begum, around 50 years old, is a voter of booth number 90 under the Saptagram assembly constituency. She suffers from severe paralysis from the waist down and has been bedridden at home for a long time. Despite holding a valid voter ID, her name was reportedly missing from the 2002 voter list.

Her husband stated that the matter was previously reported to the concerned BLO, explaining that she could not physically attend the hearing. However, the BLO insisted that her personal presence was mandatory, leaving her no option but to be brought in a wheelchair with a broken leg.

Hooghly district president Ranjan Dhara condemned the incident, saying, “The Election Commission has lost its sensitivity. Today humanity has completely disappeared. An elderly woman who cannot walk was still summoned for a hearing — this is extremely unfortunate.” He added that political outcomes will remain unaffected despite such actions.