All about Justice For Rashika trend on Twitter: Rashika Agarwal, a 25-year-old married woman reportedly fell from the third-floor terrace of her in-laws' home in Alipore on February 16 this year. Agarwal came from an affluent family of Kolkata. She was rushed to the hospital but died due to critical injuries. Now her parents have alleged that their daughter was “compelled to commit suicide” because of “inhuman torture” at her in-laws’ home.
As per news reports, her family alleged that Rashika was tortured by her husband, industrialist Kushal Agarwal, and others, leading to her death. Following the incident Justice for Rashika has been trending on Twitter, as netizens demand as proper inquiry into the case.
Here are 10 things to know about Rashika Agarwal's death case:
1. Rashika Agarwal got married to 26-year-old businessman Kushal Agarwal a year ago, on February 9, 2020, in a ceremony at Jodhpur. He is the son of Naresh Agarwal, who owns several business ventures in West Bengal, including Bharat Hi-Tech Cement Private Limited. Rashika had told her parents that Kushal had drug problems and that he was an alcoholic. She had also claimed that her husband used to torture her. Rashika's family claims that they were unaware of Kushal's habits before the wedding.
2. Her family also alleged that her in-laws had taken rupees seven crore dowry apart from other expenses, India Today reported. Rashika’s father said she was forced to jump to death. “My daughter had written a message on WhatsApp to me, my son Rishav, Kushal and Naresh before she died. Her message said, 'I tried to live here, but I cannot bear the torture they have done. It is better that I go. Papa don’t miss me.' The message was sent at 2:03 pm.” After that Rashika's mother-in-law, Neelam Agarwal, called her mother to inform that Rashika had jumped from the rooftop.
3. On February 17, Rashika’s father filed a police complaint against her husband and in-laws. But, the police told them that the Agarwal family is absconding.
4. Based on the letter of complaint, an FIR was lodged against “Kushal Agarwal and others", charging them under sections related to abetment to suicide and cruelty. The charges, if proved, could lead to a maximum punishment of 10 years in jail.
5. Rashika’s family alleged that they saw an initial delay in the police probe at the local level, after which the case was shifted to the women’s grievance cell of the detective department at Lalbazar. The in-laws were given the said dowry “partly at the time of Roka ceremony on November 8, 2019, partly at the Ring ceremony on December 14, 2019, and partly at the time of marriage on February 9, 2020”, according to the complaint.
6. Her father also alleged that “in the month of August 2020, Mr Kushal Agarwal hit my daughter on her face due to which my daughter could not see properly for a period of three days and had to consult Dr Nandini Roy," an ophthalmologist.
7. During the investigation, Rashika's ‘missing’ mobile phone was recovered which was reportedly used to send messages to her family members hours before her death. Her family believes that this phone could hold key evidence. The detective department has also recovered her personal tab, the password was shared by Rashika to her brother Rishav. The recovered electronic items have been sent to the central forensic lab. Joint commissioner (crime) Murlidhar Sharma said, “The case has been taken over by the DD. CCTV footage has been collected. We are in the process of collecting other evidence as well.”
8. Asked the reason behind the silence, Rashika’s mother Sangita said, “In our community we do not involve the police unless we really have to. We kept on hoping that things would improve. But after losing my daughter I am making an appeal to all mothers to help their child instead of thinking what people will think or say.”
9. Rashika pursued Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) at St. Xavier's College in Kolkata. She completed her higher studies in Singapore. Her family runs a business in Alipore. She returned home in 2019 and was working with her father in his transport business, Nirwan Logistics. A CCTV footage had shown her falling from the terrace on February 16. “We have known from the beginning about the various messages Rashika had sent to her family members hours before her death. The fact that she shared the passwords hint that we might land on something crucial,” said a police source. Sharma also confirmed that a few seizures have been made in this case.
10. Her friends from Kolkata and Singapore launched a #JusticeForRashika social media campaign on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram on February 28. The campaign seeks to know the truth behind Rashika's death.
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