No fresh probe in Rizwanur case: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected calls for a fresh Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the mysterious death of a Muslim youth Rizwanur Rahman who was found dead by a railway track a month after his marriage with a Hindu girl in 2007.

The apex court also said there was no need for further custody of Rehman?s father-in-law and industrialist Ashok Todi who is out on bail after spending 45 days in jail.

However, trials will go against Todi and others for abetment of suicide.

The verdict comes somewhat as a blow for Rehman?s family, who have all along maintained that he was murdered.

In early 2008, the CBI probe report had said that Rizwanur Rahman was not murdered but was driven to suicide by some Kolkata police officers and the family of his wife Priyanka Todi.

The 30-year-old graphic designer’s mysterious death on Sep 21, 2007 soon after marrying Hindu industrialist Ashok Todi’s daughter Priyanka against the wishes of the girl’s family.

The previous CBI report had accused Rizwanur’s in-laws, including Ashok Todi, and some policemen of abetting his suicide but ruled out murder as alleged by the youth’s family.

The death unleashed an unprecedented civil society movement in West Bengal for justice, with many accusing the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government of ‘shielding’ policemen.

The previous CBI report had also asked the government to take disciplinary action against former Kolkata police commissioner Prasun Mukherjee and senior officer Gyanwant Singh besides personnel of the Karaya police station in central Kolkata where Rizwanur went for justice but was threatened.

Rizwanur’s body with the head smashed was found by a railway track after he married Priyanka Todi, daughter of Lux Cozi group chief Ashok Todi.

Rizwanur had approached the human rights body APDR (Association for Protection of Democratic Rights) for help during his harassment by policemen at the behest of his in-laws.