Rizwanur - A Victim

Re: Rizwanur - A Victim (This account is based on print media reports only)

On September 15, 2007, Rizwanur tried to talk to Priyanka, but was denied access by her parents. On September 18, 2007, Sadique, a witness to their marriage was threatened by the police, with arrest, for forcing Priyanka into the marriage.

During this period, Rizwanur, after receiving numerous warnings and threats from different quarters, was not feeling safe. He could not turn to the law and administration of the state, as these were the forces that were harassing him the most. He was anticipating more foul play and so stopped staying at his Tiljala Lane residence. Some days he stayed at his cousin’s place and some days he did not even inform his family about his whereabouts to avoid any leakage of information.
On September 19, with no words yet from Priyanka, Rizwanur filed a case with an NGO. He gave them a dossier that had detailed and thorough records of whatever had happened since the day of their marriage. The principal point, of course, was police harassment. He had a detailed discussion with Mr. Sujato Bhadro, a personnel of the NGO, regarding what their plan of action could be from that point onwards. He insisted that he did not want to malign Priyanka in any way. So, the case needed to be planned accordingly. He told that he was also ready to convert to Hinduism in order to lead a peaceful married life.

Rizwanur set up another appointment with Mr. Bhadro on September 21, 2007, when he was to furnish the NGO with some additional details.

He called up Mr. Bhadro on the morning of September 21 to confirm the time of the meeting.

Little did any of them know that that meeting was not going to take place, ever.

A short time later, that day, Rizwanur was found dead beside the railway tracks of Patipukur, near Dumdum railway station.