Rizwanur murder: SC stops CBI from arresting Todi

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday stopped the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from arresting Kolkata industrialist Ashok Todi for his alleged role in his son-in-law Rizwanur Rehman's mysterious death last year.

A bench of Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan, Justice P Sathasivam and Justice Aftab Alam, however, asked Todi to appear before the Kolkata metropolitan court on December 1 in response to the arrest warrant issued by the court earlier.

The bench also directed the Kolkata Metropolitan Court to consider Todi's bail plea on the day he appears before it.

The bench also decided to hear Friday a joint plea by Todi's brother Pradeep Todi and brother-in-law Anil Saraogi, seeking similar relief.

The apex court on October 13, on another plea by Todi, had halted his trial saying that unless the Calcutta High Court takes a final decision on his lawsuit challenging the CBI's charge sheet, indicting him for abetting Rehman's suicide.

The apex court had also directed the high court to adjudicate Todi's lawsuit as expeditiously as possible.

While halting Todi's trial, the apex court, however, had given the Kolkata Metropolitan Court freedom to frame charges against Todi.

Framing of charges is the first step in beginning the trial against an accused.

The Kolkata Metropolitan Court had asked Todi and the other accused to appear before it October 27.

But as Todi failed to appear before the trial court, it issued arrest warrant against him.

Besides Todi, the CBI has named in its September 22 charge sheet six others for their alleged role in abetting Rizwanur's suicide.

Besides Todi, the charge sheet named Todi's brother Pradeep, brother in-law Anil Saraogi, IPS officer and former deputy commissioner of Kolkata Police Ajoy Kumar, former assistant commissioner of police Sukanti Chakraborty, sub-inspector Krishnendu Das and Rizwanur's neighbour S M Moinuddin alias Pappu.

As per the charge sheet, Todi had driven Rizwanur to commit suicide by using pressure tactics to prevent him from meeting his daughter Priyanka, who had married against her parents' wishes.

Rizwanur, a 30-year-old graphic designer working with a multimedia firm, was found dead on September 21 last year near the railway tracks at Kolkata's Patipukur suburb, barely a month after marrying Priyanka.