CBI starts investigation into Rizwanur's death

Kolkata, Oct 20: Starting investigation into the unexplained death of Rizwanur Rehman, CBI sleuths today visited the spot where his body was found last month.

Led by CBI joint director Arun Kumar, the seven-member team of the central agency's special crime branch, spent more than an hour near the railway tracks in the Patipukur area of the city's northern fringe after taking over the investigation from the state CID following an order of Calcutta High Court. The team included forensic experts.

Yesterday, the CBI had registered a case of murder in Delhi against businessman Ashok Todi, who had allegedly opposed his daughter Priyanka's marriage with Rizwanur.

However, talking to reporters, the CBI joint director evaded questions on the possibility of arrest of Mr Todi.

''So far, we have not charged anybody. An FIR has been filed on the basis of the court order, which means the investigation has started,'' he said.

He informed that the case had been filed under sections 302 (murder), 120B (conspiracy) and 506 (threatening) of the Indian Penal Code.

Rizwanur's family, which suspects the death to be a case of murder, has alleged that the 30-year-old computer graphics teacher was threatened and harassed by police at the instance of Ashok Todi.

However, Mr Kumar said the CBI did not have on its list the names of five police officers, including former Commissioner of Police Prasun Mukherjee, who had been removed by the state government following allegations of being involved in the harassment of Rizwanur.

The CBI would now collect all the information, including the post-mortem and viscera reports, gathered by the CID and examine them before making further headway in the probe, Mr Kumar said.

The CBI team arrived in the city last night, a day after the state government announced its decision to comply with the High Court order in favour of a probe by the central agency to unravel the truth behind the death of Rizwanur, whose inter-religious marriage with Priyanka led to a feud with the in-laws and ended in a tragedy.

UNI