Malda: A day after 32-year-old Anita Khatun allegedly died by suicide at her home in Malda’s Bachahar village, police arrested her husband Inzamamul Haque on Sunday following a complaint by her father, Anisur Alam, who alleged his daughter had faced physical and mental abuse from her husband.Haque had initially told police that Anita killed herself on Saturday morning after a financial quarrel, claiming the family had been under severe distress since her Annapurna Yojana payments stopped two months ago.According to him, Anita hanged herself with a scarf while he was at work and their two children — aged six and ten — were at school.Malda SP Anupam Singh said inquiry had revealed Haque had spread rumours among villagers in an attempt to conceal the circumstances of her death. He was produced in court on Sunday and taken into police custody.The incident comes against the backdrop of widespread protests over exclusions from the Annapurna Yojana, which disbursed Rs 3,000 each to 1.45 crore women in Aug but left out many applicants.CM Suvendu Adhikari, addressing beneficiaries at Bhowanipore’s Northern Park on Saturday, sought to reassure those left out.“Those who depend on these minimal payouts or are genuinely eligible — even if it amounts to 20 to 30 lakh more people — I will ensure they get it,” he said, adding that women who applied before the July 31 cut-off but were excluded could reapply online.The CM had also alleged that welfare schemes had been politicised under the previous Trinamool govt, and financially weaker applicants, including those allegedly denied benefits for political reasons, would be prioritised.
