Thaindian News

Ranchi, May 10 (IANS) Families of Delhi-based journalist Nirupama Pathak, who was found killed in her Jharkhand home April 29, and her boyfriend, Priyabhanshu Ranjan, continued to level charges against each other with her father Monday saying the boy’s father had ruled out their marriage.
Priyabhanshu’s father, Rama Shankar Karn, Sunday charged the Pathak family with being against the marriage and claimed Nirupama had been locked in the bathroom of her family house.

Speaking to media persons at his house in Bihar’s Darbhanga, he said was not against the marriage and his son was being implicated in Nirupama’s death.

Meanwhile, Nirupama’s father, Dharmendra Pathak alleged that Priyabhanshu’s father was against the marriage.

“I had spoken to Priyabhanshu’s father thrice in March regarding their (Nirupama and Priyabhanshu) relation. He told me that there was no question of getting his son married for next three years and he ruled out the possibilities of getting him married to Nirupama,” he told reporters in Koderma.

Alleging that Priyabhanshu and his friends were the main conspirators in Nirupama’s death, he said they were “trying to influence the probe by using their power”. He said that his daughter committed suicide and a fair probe would unveil the truth.

Nirupama’s brother Samrendra said: “The experts of AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), New Delhi have rubbished the post-mortem report. The report was influenced which has been proven by the expert opinion of AIIMS doctors”.

Noting that media and people had termed the family “conservative”, he said: “Can a conservative family allow a daughter to pursue higher education alone in New Delhi. We promoted Nirupama to pursue higher education and we were supporting her to achieve her dream to become a civil servant by clearing UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) examination.”

Meanwhile, Ashok Mishra, the lawyer of Nirupama’s mother Sudha Pathak who was arrested and charged with Nirupama’s killing on the basis of circumstantial evidence, sought the phone-call details of Priyabhanshu after the death of Nirupama.

“Police have verified that the father and brothers were at their working places. We have sought call details (made after death of Nirupama) of Priyabhanshu in the interest of the investigation.”

Meanwhile, samples, including the suicide note, clothes, books and other material collected from Nirupama’s Koderma home, have been sent for forensic tests in Ranchi.

In a related development, the doctors who had conducted the post-mortem refused to go to a police station for questioning.

According to police, three doctors who conducted the post-mortem examination on Nirupama would be interrogated.

“The autopsy report has confused police whether it was murder or suicide. Questions are being raised over the post-mortem report as it has several loopholes,” a police officer said.

According to police, the doctors did not mention the time of death. Also, they did not preserve the viscera and foetus of Nirupama. Also, the report has not mentioned about the injury marks on Nirupama’s body.

Doctors at AIIMS have pointed out ambiguities in the post-mortem report and sought further details from doctors who conducted the examination.