Pappu: Friend or foe?

Calcutta, Oct. 27: The fear of arrest, the whiff of money changing hands and a sense of battle lost — the Rahmans are wondering if Rizwanur was feeling let down by some who promised support initially and then dragged their feet.

According to his family, the focus is on Sayed Mohiuddin alias Pappu, the Broad Street resident who says he has always been with the Rahmans in crises and is still a family friend.

“Pappu was close to our family and we did approach him for help when Rizwanur’s marriage ran into trouble. He has police contacts and we looked up to him. He did side with us initially, but I’m not sure if he remained with us till the end,” said Rizwanur’s brother Rukbanur. “At least he was not with us on the final day, when Priyanka was separated from Rizwanur.”

Pappu, in his mid-40s, took the couple to then DC (headquarters) Gyanwant Singh on September 4 to prove that they were legally married adults. The Rahmans’ initial optimism about his help ebbed soon.

Syed Hasan Ali, the Palm Avenue-based realtor, admitted pressing Pappu to ensure that Priyanka returned to her parents. Hasan, who had org-anised Pappu’s meeting with Priyanka’s uncle Anil Saraogi, said Pappu turned down all offers of money.

The Rahmans said this could be true, but Pappu was not there when they needed him most. “Inside the chamber of (former DC DD-I) Ajoy Kumar in Lalbazar on September 8, I received a call from Pappu. He wanted to know what was going on. I walked out of the room and told him that the police were not co-operating. He asked me to pass the phone to Kumar. I did. I’m not sure what they spoke about. Priyanka had to go,” Rukbanur said.

Broad Street residents see senior police officers’ cars outside his house every other day.

Known to be a Good Samaritan who organises eye camps and distributes clothes among the poor, Pappu came close to the Rahmans when Rukbanur started offering computer classes at his NGO.

“I’m with the Rahmans to this day. They are an extension of my family. The Todis are out to malign me,” Pappu said.

One of the Rahmans said the CBI asked them “specifically about our relationship with Pappu” and whether “we knew whom he supported”.