Ashok Todi: 31-page list of denials

Priyanka Todi and Rizwanur Rahman were not married and they never lived as man and wife.

This was the claim made by Ashok Todi, Priyanka’s father, in an affidavit filed on Friday in Calcutta High Court, that read like a list of denials (see graphic).

Ashok’s younger brother Pradip Todi and their relative Anil Saraogi also filed similar affidavits in the Rizwanur Rahman death case.

The CBI, in its probe into the death of Rizwanur, had found enough evidence against the three to recommend framing of charges for abetment to suicide.

On February 28, Justice Dipankar Dutta had directed them to file affidavits stating their stand with regard to the Rahman family’s claim that they and some police officers were responsible for the death of Rizwanur on September 21.

“It is denied and disputed that Rizwanur Rahman allegedly married my daughter Priyanka Todi under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, in the marriage registration office of Sipra Ghosh on August 18 last year. It is also denied and disputed that after leaving my house, Priyanka Todi allegedly started conjugal life at his home in Tiljala,” Todi stated in a 31-page affidavit.

Marriage registrar Sipra Ghosh told Metro: “It’s a lie.... They got married under my supervision in the presence of three witnesses. The CBI had taken all the documents from me. The photograph of Priyanka signing the marriage register in my office has been widely circulated.”

Todi, in his affidavit, also denied that ex-cricketer Snehasish Ganguly had introduced him to then police commissioner Prasun Mukherjee to resolve the family problem caused by “the alleged marriage of his daughter with Rizwanur”.

But Mukherjee in his affidavit filed on Thursday has made it clear that Ganguly brought the Todis to him.

The Salt Lake-based businessman went on to claim that Mukherjee had not directed him to Ajoy Kumar, the then deputy commissioner of the detective department.

“It is denied and disputed that I have doled out any favour to any of the police personnel, as alleged by the petitioners.... All the allegations brought against me are motivated and false,” concluded Todi’s affidavit.

Rukbanur Rahman said on Friday that the affidavit filed by Ashok Todi was a “blatant lie”. Rizwanur’s elder brother argued: “Why didn’t he tell the CBI that his daughter was not married to Rizwanur? We have enough evidence to prove that Rizwanur and Priyanka were married and lived happily together for a few days.”

Kalyan Banerjee, the counsel appearing for the Rahmans, labelled the affidavit “a whole lot of untruth”.

The four accused police officers — Gyanwant Singh, Ajoy Kumar, Sukanti Chakraborty and Krishnendu Das — came to the high court on Friday to affirm their affidavits.

Sources said both Singh and Kumar were basing their argument on the fact that the CBI had “gone beyond its scope” by recommending departmental inquiries against the two.

The high court has fixed March 12 for the hearing, when “the parties concerned” will make their submissions on the affidavits.