Sahebganj murder: Nine more held; BJP disrupts assembly proceedings on opening day of Winter session

Ranchi: Nine family members of a 25-year-old man were arrested on Monday after his wife’s chopped body parts were recovered over the past two days in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj district, police said.

The gruesome murder case, similar to the Shraddha Walkar murder in the national capital, triggered a war of words between the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led ruling alliance and leaders of opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who disrupted proceedings in the state assembly on Monday, seeking death sentence for the accused.

According to the police, the victim has been identified as 22-year-old Rabika Pahadin, belonging to the primitive Pahariya tribal community and the second wife of Dildar Ansari (25), who was arrested on Sunday.

Ansari’s family members have been arrested for their involvement in murder and attempt to destroy evidence, said Sahibganj superintendent of police (SP) Anuranjan Kispotta.

“Nine people, including Dildar Ansari’s parents, two brothers, sister and his first wife have been arrested,” said the SP. “Three people, including two women, who are distant relatives of Ansari have also been arrested. Another person, who is a maternal uncle of Ansari, is on the run and we will arrest him soon.”

It has been revealed during investigation that the woman was killed at their home, the SP said.

Local residents had first spotted the victim’s body parts, which were being dragged by dogs, in Boria area of the district, and the police were subsequently informed about the matter.

Till Sunday, 18 body parts of the victim were recovered from different spots in Momintola area under Boria police station, even as the woman’s head was still missing, said the senior officer. The woman lived in Belatola locality, adjoining Momintola.

“More parts were recovered today (on Monday), including what appears to be the jaw. Doctors are analysing them,” said the SP. “The search operation to retrieve other body parts of the deceased is on.”

On Sunday, senior police officers said the crime took place on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. “During investigation, it has come to light that the family of Dildar Ansari was not happy with his second marriage,” Dumka range deputy inspector general Sudarshan Mandal had said on Sunday. “There was a dispute in the family and prima facie that seems to be the reason behind the murder.”

The incident rocked the inaugural day of the winter session of state’s legislative assembly on Monday. Though no business was listed for the day apart from reading out condolence message, BJP members stormed into the well of the House and raised slogans against the chief minister Hemant Soren-led government, alleging “total collapse” of law and order in the state.

BJP chief whip Biranchi Narayan demanded that name of deceased Rabika Pahadin be included in the condolence message list. Both the treasury bench and the speaker asked Narayan to follow precedence of condolence message, but the BJP members refused to budge. Amid din in the House, BJP Sarath legislator Randhir Singh scaled the chair, prompting Speaker Rabindranath Mahto to get him marshalled out.

Speaking to reporters outside the assembly, BJP legislature party leader Babulal Marandi said there was a need to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) — a register containing names of all genuine Indian citizens — in state’s Santhal Pargana division, which also includes Sahibganj district.

“The entire demography of Santhal Pargana has changed with influx of Bangladeshis. Innocent tribal girls are being targeted regularly while the present government is shying away from strict action,” alleged Marandi. “I have repeatedly said that there is a need to implement NRC in that area in order to weed out the outsiders.”

Chief minister Hemant Soren hit back at the BJP, saying the opposition was doing politics over dead bodies.

“Such incidents happen in other states as well. There is a need to quell such incidents as they do not have a place in a democracy,” Soren told reporters outside the assembly. “However, the entire society needs to deliberate as to why such incidents are happening and how we can ensure such things don’t happen