Preliminary probe into BLO’s death finds no evidence of work pressure: Collector

District Collector Arun K. Vijayan said in a statement that no connection has been established so far between Special Intensive Overhaul (SIR) duties and the death of booth level officer (BLO) Aneesh George, who was found dead at his home on Sunday.

He said Mr. George was appointed to the post following the transfer of Anganwadi teachers pursuant to an order issued on July 30, 2025.

According to officials, Mr. George was given the necessary training and assigned to SIR work starting October 4, 2025. He was given the task of distributing 1,065 census forms in Section 18, of which 825 had already been delivered.

The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) later clarified that there were only 50 forms left to be updated on the portal, the rest had already been distributed. In his statement, the Collector said the progress of the authorities in the distribution of forms at the booth was satisfactory and in line with the district level averages.

Support systems, including deployment of Revenue officials and vehicle facilities for field-level deployment, have been fully arranged across the region, the ministry said.

The Collector said Pradeepan, a field assistant in the village, accompanied Mr. George on November 15 as per ERO’s instructions and informed that BLO did not face any difficulty during the work that day.

As of 8 am on November 16, the district achieved an average of 87.28% in form distribution compared to the state average of 91.26%, while Payyannur’s progress stood at 84.03%. Aneesh’s remaining workload (22.54%) was consistent with these levels, and officials said he was neither subjected to special scrutiny nor placed under pressure.

At around 8.45am on the day of the incident, booth level supervisor Sheeja contacted Mr George to check if he needed assistance in filling out the pending forms. He reportedly refused assistance and assured them that he would complete the remaining work himself. Officials stressed that this was part of the routine daily inspection and that no work pressure was conveyed.

police investigation

Elaborating on initial findings, Mr. Vijayan said that Peringome Police and Deputy Superintendent Payyannur did not record any external injuries, suspicious circumstances or suicide note. An official review of phone records and administrative communications showed that neither officer applied coercion or issued threatening instructions.

Inspectors noted that all mandatory procedures, communication protocols and logistical support measures were put in place. They added that the possibility of personal stress was being investigated, although no conclusions had been reached. Police investigations are ongoing.

He expressed his condolences on the death of Mr. George and acknowledged his service as BLO.

The Collector said his family would be provided with all necessary support and assured that necessary compensation and benefits would be expedited as per norms.