By IANS,
Kolkata : A city court Monday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against the Todi brothers, Ashok and Pradip, and their relative Anil Sarogi – the three prime accused in the mysterious death of Rizwanur Rahman last year.
“The court has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against the three prime accused – Ashok Todi, Pradip Todi and Anil Sarogi. None of them appeared in the court today,” Kalyan Bandhopadhyay, the lawyers representing Rizwanur’s family, told reporters outside the court premises here.
He said the judge also ordered three city police officers – then deputy commissioner (detective department) Ajoy Kumar, assistant commissioner of police Sukanti Chakraborty and sub-inspector Krishnendu Das – to appear before the Metropolitan Magistrate court Nov 3 this year.
Rizwanur, a 30-year-old graphic designer working with a multimedia firm, was found dead Sep 21 last year near the railway tracks at Kolkata’s Patipukur suburb, barely a month after his marriage with Hindu girl Priyanka – daughter of local industrialist Ashok Todi.
As a Hindu-Muslim love story gone horribly wrong, Rizwanur’s death had shocked the entire nation.
Ashok Todi and his brother Pradip, along with four city police officers, were subsequently accused of threatening and pressurising Rizwanur to annul his marriage with Priyanka and stay away from her.
“We are happy that the court has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against the Todi brothers and Sarogi. They have not been arrested till date and are walking all around freely, despite being accused in connection with the case,” Riwanur’s brother Rukbanur Rahman said.
“We’ve full faith in the judiciary and we think the real perpetrators will get punishment,” he said.
The Calcutta High Court Aug 14 said Rizwanur was forced to commit suicide and asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file charge-sheets in the lower court against six people – Ashok Todi, Pradip Todi and four police officers Gyanwant Singh, Ajay Kumar, Sukanta Chakraborty and Krishnendu Das. So far, Gyanwant has not been chargesheeted.
The three cops had surrendered before the Metropolitan Magistrate’s court here Sep 30 and submitted their bail pleas, which were then rejected. They were sent to 14-day jail custody.
However, the court Oct 1 granted them interim bail against bond of Rs.10,000 each.
“Syed Mohiuddin alias Pappu, Rizwanur’s family friend who was also accused in the case, was also given a judicial custody by the court till Nov 10,” added Bandhopadhyay.