Outrage grows over Jharkhand HC lawyer's suspicious death, family alleges murder

Hazaribagh (Jharkhand): Tension and public anger grew on Friday in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh following the suspicious death of Anushka Chakraborty, an advocate at the Jharkhand High Court.

Her body was found hanging from a noose on Thursday inside Flat No. 304 of Gupta Complex in the Bengali Para area under the Hazaribagh Sadar police station limits.

Her family has termed the death 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 would be known only after the viscera examination and the final post-mortem report are received.

Following requests from the victim's family, a second post-mortem examination was conducted on Friday after completing the required legal formalities.

Family members have said they will not perform her last rites until the accused husband is arrested and the truth behind the incident is brought to light. They have also warned of an indefinite sit-in protest outside the police station if swift action is not taken.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the victim's 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 the incident.

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 postmortem facility at Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital and backed 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 flared 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 had 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, meanwhile, said all possible angles are being examined and that further legal action will be taken based on evidence gathered during the investigation.

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