NEW DELHI: Jharkhand Tribal leader Nisha Kumari Bhagat was found dead at her residence in Ranchi on Friday, hours after allegedly going live on Facebook and speaking about threats she faced for raising her voice against the Jharkhand government and alleged land brokers.Police suspect suicide, though the exact circumstances surrounding her death are yet to be established, according to the news agency PTI.In the nearly 11-minute video, which was available on her Facebook profile, Bhagat is seen crying and alleging that speaking out against the “Hemant Soren government and its land brokers meant inviting death”.The video ends abruptly, with the camera apparently getting blocked by a green object.Ranchi City Superintendent of Police Paras Rana told PTI that Bhagat’s body was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a room at her house. Her body has been sent to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) for a post-mortem examination.“Prima facie, it appears that she died by suicide after going live on social media. The exact reason behind the incident is yet to be ascertained,” another police official said, adding that a detailed investigation has been launched.Leader of the opposition Babulal Marandi expressed grief over Bhagat’s death and alleged that she had been harassed for standing up for tribal rights.Describing her as a young tribal leader who fought for her community, Marandi claimed that Bhagat had held chief minister Hemant Soren, the officer-in-charge of Pithoria police station and Ajay Tirkey responsible for her death in her video.
“She held chief minister Hemant Soren, the Pithoria police station in-charge, and Ajay Tirkey responsible for this,” he claimed in a social media post.Marandi said it was “shameful and unfortunate” that a young woman who raised her voice for tribal rights was allegedly harassed to such an extent that she took her own life.“Chief minister Hemant Soren should immediately resign from his post,” he added.The BJP leader also demanded the immediate arrest of those named by Bhagat and called for an impartial investigation into the incident.
