Police get body 24 hrs after Tigga's death, assure probe

A day after the death of Territorial Army's first woman jawan in Jalpaiguri, the police on Wednesday managed to tide over the protests of adivasi organisations and send her body for post mortem.

Demanding an impartial investigation into her death in AlipurduarRailwayHospital in Jalpaiguri district, adivasi organisations prevented the police from removing the body from the hospital where she was found hanging on Tuesday.

Tigga was found hanging with a 'gamchha' (traditional cotton towel) tied around her throat inside the cabin of the hospital at around 4.00 pm on Tuesday and the police got the body at 2.30 pm on Wednesday afternoon.

Superintendent of police Amit Javalgi pacified the protesters by assuring them of an impartial inquiry into her death, and a handsome compensation and a job would be provided to the family members of the dead adivasi woman.

Tigga, 37, had been a jawan with the 969 Railway Engineer Regiment of the Territorial Army and posted as a points-man at Chalsa station in the district.

Alleging that Tigga, who had allegedly been kidnapped and left tied to a post for a whole night five days ago, was murdered, workers of Adivasi Vikas Parishad, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's (John Barla faction) were protesting since Tuesday evening.

The protesters alleged that the police did not provide any protection to Tigga, after she was rescued a day after being kidnapped. The SP, however, said security had been provided to her but that facility could not be extended inside a bathroom where she was found hanging.