A 63-year-old man in Kolkata allegedly died by suicide over fears of deportation linked to the possible rollout of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), his family said on Sunday.

The deceased, Dilip Kumar Saha, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his home in Anandapally West, located in the Regent Park area of South Kolkata. His family claimed he had been living under severe mental stress, worried that he would be declared a foreigner and sent to Bangladesh, a country he left over five decades ago.

According to his wife, Arati Saha, Dilip had fled from Nawabganj in Dhaka during the early 1970s and had lived in Kolkata ever since. He had been employed as non-teaching staff at a private school in Dhakuria.

“He came here in 1972. He had all legal documents, including a voter ID card. But the fear of being detained or deported never left him,” Arati said. She added that her husband had no family left in Bangladesh and was terrified by the prospect of being sent to a detention camp.

Police confirmed that a suicide note was found in the room and that an investigation is underway. Officials are currently examining the note to better understand what led to the tragedy.

The incident came to light early Sunday morning when Arati, after getting no response from her husband, sought help from a relative to break open the door.

Local legislator and West Bengal Power Minister Arup Biswas visited the grieving family shortly after the incident. Speaking to reporters, he said, “This is the human cost of fear created in the name of NRC. The Centre’s approach is alienating and hurting citizens.”

Authorities have not officially linked the suicide to the NRC issue, but Saha’s death has reignited public concerns around the controversial policy and its potential impact on residents of border states like West Bengal.

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