CBI begins interrogation in Rizwanur case

KOLKATA: After the West Bengal government dragged its feet over the Rizwanur Rehman death case for nearly a month, the CBI now seems to be desperately trying to make good the invaluable time that’s already been wasted.

On Monday, the investigating agency interrogated as many as 11 people in connection with the murder, including Priyanka’s uncle Pradip Todi. CBI officials are also considering exhumation of Rizwanur’s body for a second post-mortem , if officials of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) are not satisfied with the present one.

Meanwhile, SUCI, a small Left party in Bengal has called a 12-hour strike in the state on October 30 demanding arrest of Kolkata Police officials who had reportedly intimidated Rizwanur. The SUCI is the only political party which has called a general strike demanding arrest of city police officials reportedly involved in Rizwanur intimidation case.

According to sources in CBI, persons interrogated in the last two days include the driver and guard of the train which had supposedly hit Rizwanur; Sujato Bhadra, general secretary of the Association of Protection of Democratic Rights whom Rizwanur had contacted for help; three of Rizwanur’s colleagues from office, his elder brother and his wife and other relatives from his family.

The list also includes Madhabi Chandoke, student and Pompi Roy, a long time friend of Rizwanur. Apart from this, the sleuths also visited Rizwanur’s Tiljala home and spent and spent about 3 hours, learning the full sequence of events since August 31, the day Priyanka had moved in, till September 21 when Rizwanur’s body was found.

The body’s unusual position — face up, hands folded across the chest — earlier occupied the 5 member team at the Patipukur railway tracks in north Calcutta, with officials reconstructing the scene in a hunt for clues. The agency also questioned Pradip Todi, Asoke Todi’s brother on Monday and is expected to question other members of his family in the next few days.

Pradip Todi was summoned to the Salt Lake office of CBI where the entire interrogation process was videographed. The FIR lodged by CBI mentions 3 sections: 302(murder), 506(criminal intimidation) and 120b (conspiracy). It mentions Todi and “others” and apparently officers accused of bullying Rizwanur may be included if evidence is found against them.