Journalist With Bylines For The Print, The Wire Commits Suicide; Local SP Leader Blamed

KASHI (Uttar Pradesh): Twenty-eight-year-old freelance journalist, Rizwana Tabassum, committed suicide by hanging herself.  She had completed Mass Communication from Banaras Hindu University and had, in the past, contributed to The Print, The Wire, BBC Hindi, Khabar Laheria and other news portals.

Samajwadi Party leader Shamim Nomani has now been arrested for abetting the extreme step after a suicide note recovered from her room blamed him.

“Shamim Nomani is responsible,” her suicide note said. Tabassum killed herself in Harpalpur of Varanasi district on Monday. As per police sources, Lohta resident Shamim was detained and interrogated on Monday night.

According to Varanasi Sadar CO, Abhishek Pandey, a case has been registered against Shamim Nomani on the charge of abetment of suicide under Section 306 on Rizwana’s father complaint.

Police said that Rizwana has left a note at her house by writing ‘Shamim Nomani is responsible’. Sources have revealed that Rizwana had confided in her friends that she had a ‘friendship’ with Shamim for a long time — though no one is aware of what happened suddenly.

When they knocked on the door around 9 o’clock, there was no sound, after which they got nervous. The police was informed about the incident. When the police broke the door, Rizwana’s body was hanging on the noose.

Rizwana’s father said that on the basis of what he found on the note, he has lodged an FIR.

from League of India