Hazaribagh: Public anger and tension mounted on Friday in Hazaribagh following the suspicious death of Anushka Chakraborty, an advocate practising at the Jharkhand High Court. Her body was found hanging inside Flat No. 304 of Gupta Complex in the Bengali Para area under Hazaribagh Sadar police station limits on Thursday.
The family has described the death as a premeditated murder and levelled serious allegations against her husband. Relatives, fellow lawyers and local residents staged protests demanding his immediate arrest and a high-level probe into the case.
Police said the exact cause of death will be known only after the viscera examination and the final post-mortem report are received. At the family’s request, a second post-mortem examination was conducted on Friday after completing the necessary legal formalities.
Family members have refused to perform her last rites until the husband is arrested and the truth behind the incident is established. They have also warned of an indefinite sit-in outside the police station if swift action is not taken.
Preliminary investigations show that the husband himself informed the police about the incident by calling the emergency helpline. He reportedly told officers that he was in Palamu at the time and was returning to Hazaribagh. However, he has not appeared before the police since then.
Mukesh Kumar Rajak, in-charge of the Bara Bazar police outpost, said raids are being conducted to trace the husband and that he is expected to be taken into custody soon.
On Friday, Ramgarh MLA Mamta Devi visited the post-mortem facility at Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital and supported the family’s demand for a high-level investigation. She also called for videography of the entire post-mortem process to ensure transparency and sought the immediate arrest of the absconding husband.
During her visit, tensions rose as grieving family members, lawyers and Congress workers engaged in heated arguments with police and administrative officials present at the site.
According to Mamta Devi, the victim had spoken to her mother shortly before the incident and discussed serious marital disputes. Family members claim that Anushka Chakraborty had on several occasions informed them about alleged harassment and domestic discord with her husband.
Police said all possible angles are being examined and that further legal action will be taken on the basis of the evidence gathered during the investigation.
-IANS