Court seeks Rizwanur footage from news channels

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday asked all Bengali news channels to submit by Tuesday unedited video footage related to Rizwanur Rehman, a Muslim youth who died under mysterious circumstances last year.

Counsel for the Rehman family, Kalyan Bandopadyay, said that the state-run Doordarshan network submitted edited footage despite the court's order.

"Hence the court has asked for the footage from private news channels including Star Ananda, Kolkata TV, Tara Bangla, ETV Bangla and Akash Bangla.

"We are specially waiting for the unedited interviews and comments given by ex-police commissioner (Kolkata) Prasun Mukherjee. These will definitely give a new turn to the case," he said.

Rizwanur, a graphic designer, was found dead by railway tracks in Kolkata Sep 21, 2007, barely a month after his marriage to Priyanka, daughter of Kolkata-based industrialist Ashok Todi.

Allegations were hurled against four city police officers including Prasun Mukherjee as well as Ashok Todi and his brother Pradip Todi that they threatened and pressurised Rizwanur to stay away from Priyanka.