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Jharkhand and Delhi Police teams jointly quizzed three common friends of Nirupama Pathak and Priyabhanshu Ranjan over the former's mysterious death at her home in Koderma last month. Following a Jharkhand court directive, the state police has lodged a complaint against Priyabhanshu, the boyfriend of the deceased Business Standard scribe. The court directed the police to file a First Information Report (FIR) against Ranjan, following charges levelled by Nirupama's arrested mother Subha Pathak. Speaking to the media, Koderma Superintendent of Police, G Kranthi Kumar on Saturday said that an FIR was lodged by the police last evening and investigations are on. Taking cognisance of Subha Pathak's petition, the Chief Judicial Magistrate N K Agarwal has asked Tilaya Police to file the FIR under IPC Sections 306 (abetment to suicide), 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 420 (cheating) against Priyabhanshu Ranjan. Twenty-two-year-old Pathak was found dead on April 29 in her parents' house. Nirupama's mother has described her daughter' death as a suicide case. However, the post-mortem report revealed that Pathak died due to asphyxia as a result of smothering. A 10 to 12 week-old foetus was also found during the autopsy. Suspecting the death to be a case of honour killing, the police had arrested Subha.

Jharkhand, Delhi police quiz Nirupama, Priyabhanshu's friends