Suspended Jhabua teacher dies after severe stress:Family and colleagues allege excessive workload and lack of support led to fatal cardiac arrest

17-year-old Sajan Singh struggles to hold back tears as he recalls the day his father died. His father, Bhuvan Singh Chauhan, a resident of Jhabua district, had been under immense stress ever since he was suspended. ‘He sat on the stairs the whole day… he breathed his last there,’ Sajan says. By the time the family rushed him to hospital, he had already passed away. Bhuvan Singh, a government school teacher, had been working as a Booth Level Officer (BLO) under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. On 18 November, the District Election Officer suspended him for alleged negligence. Post-mortem confirms cardiac arrest A panel of doctors conducted a post-mortem examination, which confirmed that Bhuvan Singh died of cardiac arrest.Dr Amit Dayal, Block Medical Officer of Udaygarh, said Singh was brought to the hospital already dead. He added that Singh had no serious chronic illness, though his family mentioned he occasionally felt dizzy and was not on regular treatment. On the day of the incident, he had reportedly been complaining of dizziness since morning. Colleagues blame extreme work pressure The death has shocked other BLOs in the district. Many openly described the excessive workload and lack of support they face. Raksingh, a close colleague, said he often helped Bhuvan Singh with tasks he found difficult. ‘We were given calculation sheets on the 11th and told to collect them immediately. It’s impossible in this area. Houses are scattered, and gathering information—especially from women about their parents and grandparents—takes a long time.’ Another BLO, Magansingh Baghel, highlighted the constant strain. ‘Many people migrate to Gujarat for work. Collecting their details is the hardest part. We spend the entire day in the field and then upload data late into the night. We eat only when we get time. The stress is unbearable.’ Concerns over suspension process Colleagues questioned the lack of due process in Bhuvan Singh’s suspension. He reportedly missed a day of training in Ranapur. According to them, he should have been served a show-cause notice, but instead, he was directly suspended while working in the field on 18 November. Why is SIR especially difficult in tribal areas? BLOs in tribal regions like Jhabua face unique challenges: Unanswered questions and grieving family The incident has raised pressing questions: The family has so far received no financial or institutional support. They hope for justice, so that no other worker loses their life due to such overwhelming stress. ​