Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], November 7 (ANI): Union Textile Minister Giriraj Singh on Saturday mourned the tragic death of prominent tribal activist Nisha Kumari, who allegedly died by suicide at her Ranchi residence on Friday and demanded a CBI investigation, describing her as a fearless voice who fought for the protection of tribal land, culture and the safety of women.
Calling the incident tragic, Singh alleged that Nisha had raised issues concerning the tribal community and demanded an impartial investigation into her death.
“This is a tragic incident. Nisha Bhagat, a daughter of the tribal community, was a fearless woman who sacrificed her life for the tribal community. She stood up for the protection of tribal land, culture, and the safety of tribal daughters, specifically against the menace of ‘love jihad’. I believe she was a courageous daughter,” Singh said.
Targeting Rahul Gandhi and the Jharkhand government led by Hemant Soren, Singh alleged that a fearless voice had been silenced and demanded that the case be handed over to the CBI.
“Today, Rahul Gandhi speaks loudly about the tribal community: the (Jharkhand) govt led by Rahul Gandhi and Hemant Soren has effectively silenced a fearless voice. I demand that this case should be referred to the CBI for an impartial investigation; an unbiased probe is essential,” he added.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rakesh Sinha termed the incident deeply tragic and said the administration would investigate the allegations raised by Nisha during her Facebook Live. He also alleged that she had named several BJP leaders and said none of them had offered her support.
“It is deeply tragic that she took such an extreme step and on the day of Dhanteras, no less. Naturally, the administration will investigate every point she raised during her Facebook Live, and strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty. In her Facebook Live, Nisha Bhagat exposed several BJP leaders. She mentioned that she had spoken to many BJP leaders over the phone, but none of them offered her any support,” Sinha said.
Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat, who said he knew Nisha personally and her family, expressed condolences and said the police had registered a case of unnatural death.
“Irrespective of which party and ideology a person belongs to, an untimely death is always tragic. I knew her personally. She was from Gumla, and I know her entire family. I pray that her family gets the strength to bear this loss. The police have registered a case of unnatural death. I have not seen the live video or the allegations made in it. The police will examine all these aspects, and action will be taken against whoever is found responsible after the investigation,” Bhagat said.
Nisha Kumari, a prominent tribal leader, allegedly died by suicide on Friday.
The activist broadcast an 11-minute Facebook Live video before her death, viewed by thousands, in which she expressed deep distress, wept, apologised to her parents, and openly named local land mafias, government officials, and police inaction for driving her to extreme despair.
During the livestream, she stated that opposing the government and local land brokers was “inviting death,” and reportedly called the Pithoria police station in-charge to announce her intent to self-harm. She was later found hanging from a ceiling fan.
The police confirmed registering an Unnatural Death (UD) case, conducting an FSL scientific sweep, and subjecting the body to a medical board post-mortem at RIMS. While acknowledging that the victim specifically accused the Pithoria SHO of ignoring prior written complaints, the police administration maintained that all allegations are being actively probed before assigning formal culpability.
The tragedy has sparked sharp criticism from opposition leaders, who questioned why the authorities failed to act while thousands watched the livestream in real time. (ANI)
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