Clues suggest Rizwanur wasn't killed: CBI
judicial inquiry Withrwan, Mamta Demands Buddha`s Resignation
Palash Biswas
Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: alashchandrabiswas@gmail.com">palashchandrabiswas@gmail.com
The CBI will announce within the next few days that Rizwanur Rahman, the graphic designer who died mysteriously a month after his marriage to the daughter of an industrialist, had committed suicide. The state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had reached the same conclusion in their own investigations into the death.A top CBI officer said, "Circumstantial evidence clearly indicates that he committed suicide." Preliminary reports and investigations, the officer said, suggest that Rizwanur was in a state of mental stress and was suffering from depression after his wife Priyanka's parents didn't respond to his SMSes in which he pleaded to talk to his wife.After several mock drills and survey of the spot, they have concluded that Rizwanur did not actually jump in front of the train. He was standing when the train knocked him down and partially severed his head, the CBI officer said.Meanwhile,A day after Rizwanur Rehman's family moved the Calcutta High Court, the West Bengal government on Friday withdrew the judicial inquiry it had ordered a month ago into the mysterious death of the computer graphics teacher after he married the daughter of an industrialist. Expressing confidence that the CBI investigation would unravel the truth behind the mysterious death of Rizwanur Rahman, his brother Rukbanur on Friday said the decision to wind up the judicial inquiry ordered into the case should have been taken much earlier.
"When I find that the CBI is seriously inquiring into the case and when Rizwan's family wants only a CBI probe, we have withdrawn the judicial inquiry as it may overlap," Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee told reporters at the state Secretariat.
Bhattacharjee had recently stated that judicial inquiry would continue simultaneously with the CBI investigation into the case. He said that the judicial inquiry was formally started by Justice (retd) Alok Chakraborty, but considering the sentiments of Rizwanur's family and the media "We have folded it up."
With the West Bengal government withdrawing the judicial inquiry into the death of computer graphics teacher Rizwanur Rehman, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.
"We have all been demanding the scrapping of the judicial commission as CBI is already on the job. We now demand that Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee who is also the home minister must go," Mamata told reporters.
She said "The CBI should not bow to any political pressure. It should make an impartial inquiry as the people want to know the truth. No one will accept any compromise." She also sought to know how Rs 10 lakhs were spent by the state government in the past ten days on the judicial commission.
Investigators claimed that before his death, Rizwanur made some calls to his friends. When he reached the railway track, he called up Ashok Todi, his father-in-law. He told Todi that he wanted to talk to his wife, but the line got disconnected.It was then that he sent SMSes to Todi and Priyanka's mother Vimala saying that if they didn't allow him to speak to Priyanka, he would commit suicide. When there was no response from Priyanka's parents, he headed towards the tracks.
When asked why the investigators are ruling out the murder theory, the CBI officer said: "He was alone all along till his body was found. A murderer would not allow his victim to make phone calls and messages at will. In case of a murder, someone has to apply force for some time before the act."
Meanwhile,bowing to public opinion, the West Bengal government on Friday withdrew the judicial inquiry into the mysterious death of Muslim youth Rizwan, arguing that it would only overlap with the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. Bhattacharya had ordered a judicial inquiry along with a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) investigation by the state police, which was termed illegal by the Calcutta High Court. Instead, a CBI probe was ordered.
"When the CBI has started investigation there is no point in continuing the judicial probe which had also started formally. We are withdrawing the government notification for the judicial probe," Bhattacharya said.
Rizwan's brother Rukban and his mother Kishwar Jahan had filed a petition before the Calcutta High Court on Thursday, seeking to set aside the judicial commission appointed by the government on Oct 1. The petition claimed the judicial commission had no legal validity as a state appointed commission had no authority to interrogate IPS officers. The petition also stated the judicial commission has no right to conduct the probe since the high court has already asked the CBI to investigate the matter.
Bhattacharya, however, refused to comment on the ongoing CBI probe.
"I will not comment on anything at this juncture. I have to wait and see what they (CBI) are doing," he said.
"The West Bengal government should have taken a decision much earlier to wind up the judicial commission because two parallel investigations were posing problems. Moreover the state government is not bound to act on the basis of the recommendations of the judicial commission," Rukbanur said.
Expressing satisfaction over the pace of the on-going CBI investigation in Rizwanur Rehman case, Rizwanur's brother said, "the CBI inquiry is progressing. It is investigating the matter deeply. Let us see what happens ultimately. We are hopeful. We are confident. The CBI has a good track record."
"We have been saying right after the death of my brother that there should be a CBI inquiry. Moreover we are facing problems due to the parallel investigations," Rukbanur said.
The Telegraph, on Friday published a letter to the police supposedly written by Priyanka Todi with her late husband Rizwan on Sep 3, 18 days before his body was found by a railway track, saying that they feared foul play by her father Ashok Todi.
Rizwan, a 30-year-old computer graphics designer, was found dead beside a railway track here with his head smashed on Sep 21, barely a month after marrying Priyanka, daughter of industrialist Ashok Todi.
His gruesome death had sparked widespread protests for justice with common people, students and intellectuals taking to the streets and campaigning for punishment of cops who allegedly intimidated Rizwan to opt out of the marriage.
The state government removed five police officials- Police Commissioner Prasun Mukherjee, deputy commissioner (headquarters) Gyanwant Singh, deputy commissioner (detective department) Ajoy Kumar, assistant commissioner of Anti-Rowdy Squad (ARS) Sukanti Chakraborty and sub-inspector Krishnendu Das of the same department - on Oct 17, 26 days after Rizwan was found dead.
A letter to the police supposedly written by Priyanka Todi and her late husband Rizwanur Rahman, more than two weeks before his body was found on a railway track, says clearly that the couple feared foul play by her father Ashok Todi.
Pointing the needle of suspicion at industrialist Todi, the letter dated Sep 3 to Ajoy Kumar, former deputy commissioner of police (detective department) who was transferred after the controversy broke, states: "We would like to inform you that our father-in-law/ father may engage some anti-socials/criminals to kidnap us or may try to forcefully abduct us.
"Some antisocials are coming to our place and threatening us of dire consequences if we continue to stay together at our place."
Published by The Telegraph here, the letter carries signatures that read "Rizwanur Rahman and Priyanka Todi". It mentions how the couple was threatened with "dire consequences" if they continued to stay together at 7B Tiljala Lane, the Rahmans' residence.
Rizwanur, a 30-year-old graphic designer, was found dead with his head smashed on Sep 21 by the railway tracks, barely a month after his marriage to Priyanka, daughter of industrialist Todi.
The letter, which carries the seal of the deputy commissioner's office in acknowledgement of receipt, is dated Sep 3, 2007; two days after Priyanka left her home and 18 days before Rizwanur died.
The missive attributed to the couple indicates that they feared the worst from Priyanka's father.
"Please be informed that if anything happens to us the person who will be responsible is Mr Ashok Kumar Todi," says a line in the letter.
The couple signs off with a plea to police to "provide us protection".
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating the case on a Calcutta High Court directive, took possession of the letter recently.
A CBI officer was quoted by the daily saying: "It is clear from the letter that the couple were very scared. But, Priyanka did not tell us about the letter. Neither did she tell us about the anti-socials."
The letter also makes a passing reference to attempts at bribery -- an issue that has become a raging controversy now. "They (the anti-socials) are trying to threaten and bribe our people so that somehow the girl is sent back to her parents."
Rizwanur's family on Thursday categorically denied allegations of accepting any money from the Todis at any point of time.
Text messages purportedly from Rizwanur's mobile phone on Sep 21 are further clouding the case, which has led to the transfer of police chief Prasun Mukherjee and others.
"Papa (to Ashok Todi) there is 5 mins before I kill myself, talk to me last time", reads one message. Another reportedly reads: "Mom (mother of Priyanka) Hum Apna Jaan Denge 5 min mein, ek baar uska awaz dijiye (Mom, I will kill myself in five minutes, please let me talk to her (Priyanka)".
Though these messages strengthen the suicide theory, it is feared that Kolkata police has released these texts selectively to make it seem that Rizwanur took his life because he was depressed.
According to human rights activist Sujato Bhadra, it was about the same time that Rizwanur had called him and showed a resolve to fight his battle to get back his wife. Rizwanur had wanted to meet Bhadra in the evening as well, the activist said.
The CBI is now probing the missing SMS or call links amid these messages.
The Calcutta High Court had on Oct 16 ordered a CBI inquiry into Rizwanur's death, terming the ongoing CID investigation as "illegal".
