As the pressure mounted, the district administration was forced to respond. Gir Somnath Collector N. V. Upadhyay, who oversees BLOs and SIR progress, insisted that Arvind had never reported any distress. He told local media, “We are deeply concerned. Speaking personally about his performance in SIR, he was exceptional. Not a single complaint was ever received. He had already completed 43% of his work. He never informed us about feeling pressured,” the Collector said, stressing that the case must be examined “only after the police investigation report”.

Upadhyay also addressed the viral midnight-work message, attempting to distinguish official instructions from misuse. “The instruction to work till midnight was a general directive from the Mamlatdar, meant for BLOs whose progress was below 20%. It was not targeted at Arvind. Due to the complexity of the process, we often have to work late. A general work pressure is there on all of us, not just BLOs.”

Meanwhile, the State Election Commission acknowledged the seriousness of the situation. Additional CEO Ashok Patel stated, “The department is monitoring the situation. This incident is deeply distressing. We have asked the Collector to submit a detailed report soon.”

Political reactions quickly followed, with the Opposition sharpening its attack on the government.

Gujarat Congress Chief Spokesperson Dr Manish Doshi said the system was collapsing at the cost of human lives. “99 per cent of primary teachers have been deployed as BLOs for SIR. Workers from 14 other cadres, Anganwadi, Talati, GEB, Gram Sevaks, are supposed to be used, but only teachers are burdened. Schools with three or four teachers have all of them pulled out as BLOs. Threatening orders come from Mamlatdar offices, and the SIR site barely functions. Children’s education is suffering, and teachers are breaking down,” he said.

He also recalled a recent case where a school principal in Kapadvanj died of a heart attack, due to the stress of BLO duties.

With unions protesting, political parties attacking, viral messages circulating, and the Collector urging caution, the police investigation becomes crucial to determining whether Arvind’s mental breakdown stemmed solely from administrative pressure or a mix of circumstances.

But in Devli village and across Gujarat, the sentiment is one of pain and anger. A dedicated teacher remembered as calm, sincere and responsible was pushed to the brink.

(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)