Kolkata, Dec 27 (NationPress) In a striking turn of events, it has been revealed that Amit Kumar Mandal, a Booth Level Officer (BLO) from Katwa in the East Burdwan district, has vanished after securing a loan of Rs 50 lakh. This financial obligation might be linked to his disappearance, with no evidence suggesting any connection to the workload from the Special Intensive Review (SIR).

Reports from the police indicate that the BLO went missing following the acquisition of the bank loan. The police have updated the Election Commission about the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the BLO's disappearance, according to sources on Saturday.

Amit Kumar Mandal, who serves as the BLO for booth number 23 in the Katwa Assembly constituency, has not been seen for the past four days. His family has approached authorities for assistance in locating him. In response, the Election Commission has requested a report from the district police regarding this situation.

It has been disclosed that the police provided a report to the commission outlining the reasons behind Amit's disappearance.

As per police sources, the report indicates that Amit had taken out a loan of around Rs 50 lakh from a bank, intending to invest the funds in the stock market. Unfortunately, he suffered significant losses, leading to an overwhelming debt burden. This financial strain is believed to be the reason Amit left home, with the family mistakenly assuming he went missing due to the pressures of SIR-related responsibilities.

Subsequently, the Election Commission has called for an investigation into the BLO's disappearance.

Amit resides in the Bikihat area of Khajurdihi Panchayat in the Katwa-I block. He is also a teacher at Uddharanpur Primary School in Ketugram.

His family reported that on Tuesday morning (December 23), around 10 a.m., Amit returned home from a market visit, parked his motorcycle, and mentioned a meeting pertaining to his BLO responsibilities. However, he never returned home after that.

As the day progressed without any communication from him, his family grew concerned. During their search, they discovered his mobile phone, BLO identity card, and documents related to SIR at their home.

Despite extensive efforts by family and relatives in various places, Amit remains missing. Consequently, his family filed a missing person's report at the Katwa police station on Tuesday night, highlighting that Amit had been under mental stress since taking on the responsibilities of a BLO.

Significantly, there are 641 voters in Amit Kumar Mandal's Booth No. 23, and he had distributed notices to 33 voters for the hearing.

Meanwhile, hearings on claims and objections to the draft voters' list in West Bengal commenced on Saturday, where Amit's presence as the BLO is essential.

His disappearance has placed the administration in a difficult position. Sources indicate that if Amit remains unaccounted for beyond an appropriate time frame, a replacement will be appointed to ensure his duties are fulfilled.

IANS