Rizwanur's family took money from us: Todis

Kolkata: The Todi family added a new twist to the Rizwanur Rehman death case, claiming that money changed hands between the Todis and members of Rizwan's family.

The CBI on Thursday checked the bank transactions of relatives of Rizwanur amid allegations that money was given to them to facilitate the couple's separation. "Their bank accounts are being checked, apart from that I can't say anything," CBI Joint Director Arun Kumar told reporters on the allegations.

He, however, refused to divulge any other detail. DIG Satish Golcha, another officer investigating the death of Rizwanur, refused to comment in the matter.

Priyanka's uncle Pradip Todi had told the CBI earlier that money changed hands between the two families prior to Rizwanur's death. It was also alleged in a section of media father Ashok Todi had established secret contact with some relatives of the deceased and had given them money to facilitate the separation of his daughter, Priyanka, and Rizwanur.

Rizwanur died under mysterious circumstances a month after his marriage to the daughter of the industrialist.

The CBI team investigating the case has also come across SMSes that suggest that the graphics designer committed suicide. Details of SMSes sent to Priyanka's parents by Rizwanur just an hour before he died seem to suggest that he may have committed suicide.

In the last SMS he sent before his death on September 21, Rizwanur allegedly spoke about leaving a letter and saying, "God bless you all'' An earlier SMS from his phone said: "Papa, there is five minutes before I will kill myself. Talk to me for the last time."

Reports say Rizwanur kept pleading with Ashok and Vimla Todi for their permission to talk to Priyanka during this period. He also reportedly made a call to Sujato Bhadra, the chief of the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights, at 10.11 hours on the fateful day. Rizwanur is said to have told him that he would meet him later in the day near Lal Bazar to hand over some documents that he was collecting.

Rizwan's brother Rukbanur Rahman, however, claims there was nothing to prove that the SMSes being spoken about were sent by Rizwan.

"I don't know how much truth there is to these reports. We saw it on some TV channel. I and my family have been rubbishing them. People who have been trying to malign Rizwan's name are saying things like the investigation is being derailed etc. The family is in a shock."

Rukbanur said there was no proof that the SMSs were indeed sent by Rizwanur. "We have always said that Rizwan was murdered. There is only one reason that casts doubt on him. The SMS. But SMSs could have been sent by anyone. No one knows under what circumstances those SMSs were sent. Investigation is going on and the CBI will come out with the truth," he said

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)

#Rizwanur Rehman #Police #Muslims #Hindu #Inter-religious marriage