Bengali actor Dev, three family members, get SIR hearing notice from ECI

The Election Commission has issued a notice to Trinamool Congress MP and actor Deepak Adhikari, popularly known as Dev, to appear for SIR hearing, officials said on Monday (January 5, 2025).

Notices have also been sent to three members of his family, they said.

However, the date on which Dev and his family members are required to appear for the hearing and submit documents has not yet been communicated, officials said.

Neither Dev nor his family members has issued any response after receiving the notice.

‘Harassment’: TMC leaders

Leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress said issuing such a notice to a busy film actor, who is also an MP, amounted to harassment.

Dev is a three-time MP from Ghatal, his ancestral home in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipore district.

He had moved to Mumbai with his family due to his father’s professional commitments.

Subsequently, he settled in Kolkata.

According to a senior official at the office of the West Bengal Chief Election Commissioner (CEO), the actor, along with three members of his family, must appear at the Special Intensive Review (SIR) hearing to establish proof of citizenship.

Earlier, actor Anirban Bhattacharya had also received a notice for an SIR hearing. Bhattacharya is also from Paschim Medinipore and later moved to Kolkata with his family for professional reasons.

Officials at the CEO’s office said Bhattacharya was summoned as he did not submit any documents dating back to 2002 while filling up the enumeration form.

Actor couple Kaushik Banerjee and Laboni Sarkar, residents of Tollygunge in south Kolkata, were also issued SIR hearing notices. The duo had appeared before the hearing authorities on Monday morning, sources said.