Chhapra, Feb. 4: A brother’s quest for justice for his sister, who, he alleges, was killed for dowry, has seen a ray of light with a senior police officer saying he would consider reinvestigating the case which had thus far been brushed under the carpet by the local law-enforcement authorities.

Saidun Nisha, the 20-year-old younger sister of Reyazuddin, a resident of Sankauli village in Saran district, was married for less than four months when her parents were informed on September 10 last year that she was dead.

“Since then I have been running from pillar to post. The local Baniapur police station refused to accept an FIR. Later, I filed a case in the court, which issued an order to the police to investigate the case. But the culprits were given a clean chit without even being questioned,” Reyazuddin, 30, told The Telegraph.

Reyazuddin runs a travel agency in Calcutta that provides cars on hire. His father Amanat Hussain works in a salon, also in Calcutta. Saidun was the youngest of two brothers and five sisters.

On Wednesday, Reyazuddin lodged a protest petition in the court of the Saran chief judicial magistrate alleging that the Baniapur police — which have said the girl died of tuberculosis without carrying out a post-mortem — were in connivance with the accused persons and intends to give them a clean chit. He has alleged that the police have not questioned either the witnesses in the case or the family members. The court will now consider the merit of the petition and, if it so deems, order a reinvestigation.

Saran range deputy inspector-general of police Sunil Kumar said if the girl’s family suspected foul play, he was ready to order a reinvestigation of the case. He said the apprehension of Reyazuddin that the witnesses were not questioned by the police holds some ground. “The body of Saidun Nisha was buried and neither the police or the family members of the deceased could be sure of the cause of her death. After a protest petition, the case could be reinvestigated,” he said.

In his protest petition, Reyazuddin has said that Saidun Nisha was married off to Aas Muhammad of Paigambarpur village under Baniapur police station on June 6, 2011. The very next day, at the time of taking the bride with them, the groom and his family (the girl’s father-in-law Muhammad Islam, brothers-in-law Chand Muhammad and Id Muhammad, sister-in-law Gudia and mother-in-law Nimajan) made a demand of a motorcycle and a colour TV set.

Initially, Reyazuddin said, the groom’s family refused to take the bride with them if these were not given. However, after the intervention of the local people and an assurance from the bride’s family that the motorcycle and the colour TV would be given within six months, they took the girl with them.

After 10 days of the marriage, Reyazuddin said, he went to see his sister, and her in-laws again raised the demand. After repeated pleas, he was allowed to meet Saidun Nisha, who complained of torture and beating at the hands of her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. She also complained that Chand Muhammad (brother-in-law) and her husband Aas Muhammad had threatened to lock her in a room and starve her. Reyazuddin said he again pleaded with his sister’s in-laws and assured them that he would keep the promise to deliver the goods within six months.

Reyazuddin then returned to Calcutta. However, when he went back to his village on September 10, he was told that his sister had died on September 7 and quickly buried. He went to his sister’s in-laws’ house, which he found locked and the family members were missing. He then went to the Baniapur police station to lodge an FIR, but was told to go to the court. He then filed a complaint before the court of the chief judicial magistrate, which ordered the Baniapur police station in-charge to lodge an FIR on September 15, 2011.

Since then, Reyazuddin said, the police have not acted, raising questions about their intent.

When The Telegraph contacted Baniapur station house officer Raghunath Prasad on Wednesday, he said that as per the directives of the court, the FIR was lodged on September 15 itself and that the police had investigated the case. The deputy superintendent of police (rural), Kailash Prasad, has submitted his final report, finding the case of dowry death to be untrue and giving a clean chit to the accused.

Raghunath Prasad said the girl died because of tuberculosis. No post-mortem was conducted on the body and the police say it had come to a conclusion after talking to family members and villagers. However, Reyazuddin says the police had not contacted him or any of his family members.

Kahkashan Parveen, chairperson of the Bihar State Women’s Commission, has promised to look into the matter. “I have not been informed about this case. But the moment I know of the details, I will ensure a full investigation into the matter,” she said.