Nisha Bhagat’s funeral draws calls for CBI investigation

Nisha Bhagat, a tribal activist from Jharkhand, was cremated in her ancestral village on November 7 as family members and community members called for an investigation into her death. Police have registered an unnatural-death case and say they are investigating the circumstances and allegations raised before she died. No final findings have been reported.

Bhagat died in Ranchi on November 6, after a Facebook livestream in which she appeared distressed and alleged harassment by people she identified as land brokers and government officials. Her family and several political figures have said she had sought help from authorities. Those allegations, including claims of police inaction, have not been established as findings.

Police said they seized Bhagat’s phone, preserved the livestream as evidence and began forensic work. A postmortem examination was conducted. Ranchi Rural Superintendent of Police Gaurav Goswami said the investigation was ongoing and that it was premature to comment on specific allegations before it concluded.

Bhagat’s father, Handu Bhagat, alleged that his daughter faced threats and harassment and demanded that the Central Bureau of Investigation take over the...