Staff dies by suicide in Fatehpur amid SIR workload; staff allege pressure, leave denial

Uttar Pradesh: A 28-year-old lekhpal died by suicide in Fatehpur district on Tuesday, triggering outrage among revenue department employees who allege that excessive workload during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and denial of leave pushed him to the extreme step.

Sudhir Kumar, posted in Khajua block under Bindki tehsil, was found hanging in his room on Tuesday morning, police said. His death has sparked strong protests from the UP Lekhpal Association, which claims that the SIR-related pressure and repeated harassment by seniors had created unbearable mental strain.

According to Sudhir’s colleagues, he had recently been assigned additional supervisory responsibilities for the Special Intensive Revision exercise in the Jahanabad Assembly segment. They allege that he was subjected to “extraordinary pressure” by a revenue inspector and was constantly pushed to meet unrealistic deadlines.

However, Additional District Magistrate (Fatehpur) Awanish Tripathi rejected the allegations of leave denial. He stated that Sudhir had applied for leave on Sunday and was approved ten days of leave even though he had sought only three. “The kanungo (revenue inspector) had merely visited his house to collect SIR forms. No pressure was exerted,” Tripathi clarified.

Despite this, the district administration registered an FIR nearly 29 hours after continuous protests by lekhpals and revenue staff who demanded accountability for Sudhir’s death. Authorities have sent the body for post-mortem examination, and a detailed investigation is underway.

Sudhir’s family said he had stayed away from duty on Monday due to a marriage ceremony at home. They maintain that he had been “extremely stressed” over the escalating SIR workload and the constant supervisory checks.

The SIR process, being conducted under the Election Commission’s directives, involves intensive verification of voter lists and field-level monitoring. Revenue staff claim that the push to complete the revision before the deadline has resulted in long hours, minimal rest and pressure from senior officials.

As protests intensified, the UP Lekhpal Association demanded immediate suspension of the officials allegedly responsible and a comprehensive review of work conditions during SIR. They warned that the agitation would continue unless the government provides concrete assurances.

Sudhir’s death has reignited the debate over high-pressure administrative workloads and the mental health burden faced by frontline revenue employees in Uttar Pradesh.

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