Rizwanur case: HC slams police intervention

Computer graphics teacher Rizwanur, who was under pressure to separate from his wife Priyanka, daughter of industrialist Ashok Todi, was found dead along a rail track here on September 21, 2007. The incident sparked off widespread furore following which the High Court directed the CBI to conduct a probe.

Justice Dipankar Datta, in his order, asked the investigating agency to file chargesheets against the seven accused, including industrialist Pradip Todi, A Saraogi and Pappu, besides the then DCP (DD) Ajay Kumar, ACP Sukanti Chakraborty and SI Krishnendu Das under the anti-rowdy section. The judge kept its order in abeyance for three weeks to enable the accused to appeal.

While delivering the order, Justice Datta criticised the role of police officials at Lalbazar, headquarters of the Kolkata Police, and described as unconstitutional the intervention of the police by summoning the couple to Lalbazar.

The judge gave the CBI liberty to conduct further investigation before filing the chargesheets in a criminal court. The court also held that it was an unnatural death and not an accident. “It might be a case of murder or suicide. But Todi and the police had played a role behind the unnatural death,” the court observed.

The judge also slammmed the CID, which initially probed the case, for going for a preliminary inquiry without filing an FIR. “The CID wasted 14 days which was enough to provide favour to the accused and sufficient for tampering with evidence. This was not in accordance with the law and thus the CID had acted irresponsibly,” he said.

About the CBI’s way of initiating the inquiry into the case, the judge observed that it was legal because it had filed the FIR on the basis of certain writ petitions, affidavits and documents available. However, the court criticised the CBI for recommending a departmental inquiry against the accused police officers.

(With PTI)