Rizwanur case: cops get bail, suicide note submitted in court

Kolkata, Oct 1 (IANS) A city court Wednesday granted interim bail to three police officers, who were sent to 14-day custody Tuesday for their alleged involvement in the mysterious death of Muslim youth Rizwanur Rehman last year.

Former deputy commissioner of police (Detective Department) Ajay Kumar, former assistant commissioner Sukanti Chakraborty and sub-inspector Krishnendu Das were granted interim bail against a bond of Rs.10,000 each.

They surrendered before the Metropolitan Magistrate's court Tuesday and submitted their bail pleas, which were then rejected.

However, their lawyers filed an application before the chief magistrate's court to stay the lower court's order.

Rizwanur, a 30-year-old graphic designer working with a multimedia firm, was found dead Sep 21 last year near railway tracks at Kolkata's Patipukur suburb, barely a month after marrying Hindu girl Priyanka Todi, daughter of local industrialist Ashok Todi.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Wednesday presented parts of Rizwanur's suicide note at the city sessions court.

In the letter, Rizwanur wrote that he had forgiven his father-in-law Ashok Todi because 'he is a father after all'.

The letter also named those who were 'morally and actually' responsible for his death. They are his relative Anil Saraogi, uncle Sahidur Rehman, police officers Sukanti Chakraborty, Gyanwant Singh and Ajay Kumar, and Trinamool Congress legislator Javed Khan.

However, CBI officials said they could not file charge sheets against Gyanwant Singh, Sahidur Rehman and Javed Khan as there is no evidence or witness to prove their involvement in the case.

'Though Rizwanur has forgiven Ashok Todi, that doesn't mean that the court and the law of the country will let him go. Todi has committed a crime and he has to be punished,' said the Rehman family's lawyer Kalyan Bandopadhyay.

The CBI also presented two SMSes Rizwanur sent to his in-laws Ashok and Bimala Todi the night before his death, saying he would die if his wife Priyanka did not return to him.

The Calcutta High court Aug 14 said Rizwanur was forced to commit suicide last year and asked the CBI to file charge sheets in the lower court against six people - his father-in-laws, Ashok Todi and his brother Pradip Todi, and four police officers Gyanwant Singh, Ajay Kumar, Sukanta Chakraborty and Krishnendu Das.

The city court last Monday issued summons to seven accused after taking cognisance of a charge sheet filed by the CBI. The summons were also issued to Ashok Todi, his brother Pradip Todi, their relative Anil Saraogi, and Pappu, a family friend of the Rehmans.

The CBI, probing the case following a high court order, stated in the charge sheet that Rizwanur committed suicide, and sought to proceed against the seven on various charges for abetting it, for criminal intimidation and for conspiracy.