May 12, 2017: Proving apolitical student movement a grand success, Agartala police today confirmed that Anwara Choudhury – a student of Women’s Polytechnic – was murdered by poisoning. The SP of West Tripura, Abhijit Saptarshi said, Anwara’s maternal uncle Noor Mohammed was arrested soon after the forensic reports confirmed murder of the young student. There was, however, no evidence of any sexual abuse.
Anwara’s mysterious death at GB hospital on April 11, 2017 triggered sponteneous agitation among the students. Though the death report mentioned it a normal death, many people noticed some unnatural marks during her burial and soon the news went wild.
In an unprecedented solidarity, her mates in the Women Polytechnic raised the doubt and took to streets demanding proper investigation into her death as they smelt murder. Praising the relentless agitation by the students, a retired TCS Officer raised a question as to how the doctors at the GB Hospital gave the normal death certificate. “Had not the young students taken up the matter, the truth would have been buried forever”, he added. Many people are demanding that Police should investigate role of the doctors who issued the death certificate.
The accusation was leveled against her maternal uncle Noor Mohammed and the family. Anwara used to stay with her maternal uncle’s family after her mother’s death. Her father Mohammed Abdul used to stay separately.
Determination of agitating students ultimately forced the district administration look into the matter and her body was exhumed and sent for re-examination by forensic experts. Maintaining an exemplary vigil, the students did not let it go and continued to exert pressure on the administration so that the unscrupulous elements did not succeed in sweeping the matter under the carpet or send the report back burner forever. The entire movement remained at the beginning completely apolitical though later some students’ bodies from opposition parties lent their support to the agitating students.
“We have received the State Forensic Laboratory report which stated poison was found in Anwara’s intestine, liver and kidney. Based on the scientific findings the final Post Mortem report was done today which also confirmed presence of poison. Immediately after confirming that Anwara’s death wa not a normal death, we slapped murder case against her maternal uncle Noor Mohammed and he has been arrested”, said Saptarshi and added there was no evidence of any sexual abuse on her. It is learnt that police will now start extensive investigation into the murder and it may lead to some more arrests.
In the meantime people are now all praise for the agitating students who proved the power of youngsters. “The credit definitely goes to the students and her mates who fought for the cause relentlessly and moved the mountains to bring out the rats. Their fight only brought out the truth and hopefully now the culprits will be punished. Rest is now with the police”, said a retired TCS officer. (Courtesy: Manas Pal, Executive Editor of Tripura Times)
