Rizwanur Rahman (1977 – 21 September 2007) was a 30-year-old computer graphics trainer who was driven into committing suicide according to the Central Bureau of Investigation."Rizwanur death was suicide". CBI-India, The Times of India
Love and marriage Rizwanur Rahman, a middle-class man, met the 23-year-old Priyanka Todi, daughter of Ashok Todi, owner of Lux Cozi, at the graphics training school where he taught. They began an affair, which was kept secret from their families."What the Todis have to say", The Times of India
It is believed that on 18 August 2007, the two secretly married according to the Special Marriage Act to which a few close friends and colleagues of Rizwanur were witnesses. The two families were not informed about the marriage and no witnesses were declared in the case later on.
After the ceremony, Priyanka went back to the Todi family, and Rizwanur continued his work at the multi-media centre. In late August, Rizwanur Rahman approached his brother and confessed to having secretly married. On 31 August, he brought Priyanka home to his family's small apartment in a working class Muslim neighbourhood. He and Priyanka signed and sent a letter to the police asking for protection from her father.
Later, Priyanka would say: "My mind was a blank... I was just signing whatever letters Rizwan was telling me to sign. I once told him we shouldn’t mention my father, but he said Pappu and Rukbanur had insisted that we frame the letters like that and they knew best."Sumit Das Gupta and Devadeep Purohit. "I really regret involving Rukbanur and Pappu- Priyanka Todi breaks her silence", The Telegraph, 8 December 2007.
It is alleged that Priyanka's father, Ashok Todi, and the Todi family were displeased that Priyanka had married into a lower income family, and Rahman, being a Muslim, exacerbated their displeasure.Gupta, Kanchan. In Bengal, blood keeps dripping. Daily Pioneer Delhi. 7 October 2007 It has also been alleged that Rahman was told to "remove himself" from Priyanka's life and was also threatened by various fronts for this inter-religious marriage." Hindustan Times – 5 October 2007 On 31 August, Priyanka and Rahman notified the authorities that they were staying together at Rahman's house."Police saw their marriage papers and yet charged Rizwanur with abducting wife" Indian Express, 7 October 2007
Return to parents It has been alleged that due to an understanding with the Todi family, top level police officers of the state summoned the couple several times to State Police Headquarters at Lalbazar, Kolkata, and threatened Rizwan of dire consequences if he did not separate from his wife. Rizwan refused to yield. This is an unsubstantiated allegation levelled against the police force, not against Priyanka's parents, and there is nothing in official records to indicate that any such thing happened. What is on record is a meeting held at the police station on 8 September, eight days after Rahman's marriage was certified. On this occasion, the police summoned Rizwan and strongly urged him to allow his wife to visit her parents for a week or so. They told him that he was liable to be arrested on various charges, including abduction and illegal confinement, if his wife remained confined inside his tiny, rundown house; also that there was a minor charge against him of stealing a cell phone and other items from the Todi mansion, He was told that the girl, Priyanka, had never spoken to her parents properly after disappearing from the house one fine day, and that the parents were totally aghast and bewildered. Rizwan was always present when Priyanka spoke to her parents, and because of his presence, the conversations were necessarily stilted and stifled, with no mutual understanding in sight. Also, Priyanka was speaking only in very brief sentences, monosyllables, yes-no answers and low voice to her parents. It was suspected that she was under pressure from Rizwan; perhaps she was scared of him and his family, perhaps she was unable to speak frankly and clearly to her parents. The police therefore strongly felt that Priyanka should return to her parental house for a week or so, during which time she could speak clearly to her parents and explain what had happened, and also convince them that she was happy.
Rahman continued for a long time to resist the arguments of the police. He finally agreed to let Priyanka visit her parents, but only after he had obtained a signed document stating that she would return to him after a week. One of Priyanka's uncles, who was present at the police headquarters, signed an agreement on plain paper in front of a police witness that Priyanka would be sent back to Rahman's house after 7 days, on 15 September."Doubts over suicide claim – Top cops’ role under cloud, The Telegraph, Calcutta – 24 September 2007 After all this was done, and on the same day (08 Sept), Priyanka returned to the house of her parents.
Last days At her father's house, Priyanka Todi spoke to Rahman for the last time on 11 September. On 15 September, Rahman tried calling Priyanka but was refused permission to speak to her by her parents. On 18 September, a witness to their marriage was threatened with arrest by the police for "forcing Priyanka into marriage".
On 19 September, Priyanka, still not sent back, Rahman filed a case with an NGO, documenting police harassment. According to his diary and conversations with close friends, he was also planning further legal moves to get his wife back."‘Some people came, said I would be murdered’ Telegraph India – 23 September 2007 In a letter allegedly written by Rahman to an NGO before his death, he stated that he was ready to convert to Hinduism in exchange for a peaceful married life."Rizwan was ready to convert to Hinduism" Express India, – 24 September 2007
Rahman died in the afternoon of 21 September, about 2 weeks after his wife was separated from him."LEADER ARTICLE: Hide Your Love Away". Times of India, 4 October 2007 His body was found lying beside a railway line, with hands folded over his chest and a deep wound on the back of his head.
After his death, Priyanka met a state Women's Commission delegation and told them that: "There was no police pressure on me" and that "no police officer ill-treated me"."Rizwanur case: No police pressure, says Priyanka Todi", The Times of India, 10 October 2007 Finally a CBI probe has judged that he had committed suicide and they plan to charge Mr Todi with abetment of suicide.
Fallout Even before the post-mortem results were released, the then Police Commissioner, Prasun Mukherjee, brushed aside the death of Rahman as a "simple case of suicide". He added that cases of eloping, even by adults, were unacceptable morally. So the police had always intervened in such cases in the past, and would continue to do so in the future. He made the infamous statement, "If the police does not interfere in these (family) matters, who will do it? PWD (Public Works Department)?". When pressed on the legality of his comments (the Supreme Court had previously ruled that a legal inter-religious marriage should be protected by the police), the commissioner became angry and left the conference.
During primary investigations by the media, it was revealed that Mukherjee met the brother of Ashok Todi a few days after Rizwanur got married, and assured him of help from the police force to separate the couple. Mukherjee is also the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal. He won this post without contest due to an active support from the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mr. Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, and also alleged financial support from Ashok Todi.
The suicide theory has been challenged by reports in the media. A train driver, who was the first person to see Rizwanur Rahman's body beside the tracks, said that Rizwanur was not hit by the train he was driving.
High Court ruling and transfer of the suspected officers On 16 October 2007, the High Court ruled that the Rizwanur death investigation carried out by the State Government is illegal, and ordered a Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) enquiry.Rizwanur case: CBI probe ordered . NDTV, 16 October 2007 On 17 October 2007, under intense pressure from the civil society, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya stated that all five suspected police officers, including the commissioner, Prasun Mukherjee, and deputy commissioners Gyanwant Singh and Ajay Kumar, who were fully aware that Rizwanur did not commit any crime according to law, but still actively participated in the threatening and torturing due to some understanding with Ashok Todi, will be transferred from their current posts with immediate effect."Rizwan case: Top cop transferred NDTV, 17 October 2007 He also agreed to run a CBI enquiry according to the High Court ruling and said that if the transferred police officers are found guilty by the CBI, they will be punished according to law.
Bank accounts of Rizwanur's relatives During the investigations, it was alleged that several people including local goons and also some of Rahman's family members received money from Ashok Todi to sabotage the marriage. The CBI has checked the bank transactions of some close relatives of Rahman but the results are unknown.Bank accounts of Rizwanur's relatives being checked", The Hindu, 25 October 2007 The family members of Rahman have denied taking any money, but said that a blank cheque was offered to them, which they refused to take.. Hindustan Times
The Telegraph reported that Rizwanur's family friend Syed Mohiuddin, alias Pappu, has admitted to the CBI that financial deal was made to separate Rizwanur Rahman and Priyanka Todi. Pappu, a family friend of the Rahmans, claimed that part of the amount he had taken from Pradip Todi, Priyanka's uncle, had been passed on to Rukbanur Rahman, Rizwanur's elder brother. The transactions involved Rs 500,000 taken on 13 September and Rs 600,000 taken on 19 September."Mediator admits to money deal Cops & kin under scan – Brother defiant as CBI turns scanner on Rizwanur friend and family". The Telegraph (Calcutta), 1 December 2007
Text messages from Rizwanur's mobile A month after his death, while public opinion against the role of police was overwhelming, a series of text messages allegedly sent from Rahman's mobile just before his death were supplied to a few pro-government members of the media from an unknown source. Along with publishing the SMS details, some parts of the media also vigorously started to highlight the arguments of a suicide, and tried to turn the public opinion away from the role of the police force.
In India, it is illegal to record private messages of an individual unless he is suspected of a serious crime. SMS is considered private and Rizwanur did not commit any crime, so it is still unanswered who asked the mobile service provider to do so in Rizwanur's case.Rizwanur SMS leak sparks furore – The Times of India The Times of India There are also questions about the authenticity of these SMSes, which are being published as follows:I'm going to die in 5 min, let me hear her once: Rizwanur in SMS to in-laws, no one heard Express India
To Mr. Ashok Todi: "Papa, there is 10 mins before I kill myself, let me talk to her for the last time", reads one message. (Timestamp: 21 September 9:24AM) To Mrs. Vimala Todi: "Mom, I will kill myself in five minutes, please let me talk to her".Rizwanur, wife had feared foul play by Todi sify.com Friday, 26 October 2007 (Timestamp: 21 September 9:30AM) Both messages were sent in Hindi. It is claimed by Rahman's brother that Rahman, being a graduate from a Catholic College, used English to send messages.