Jharkhand tribal leader dies by suicide after Facebook Live, blames Soren govt, land brokers

Tribal activist Nisha Kumari Bhagat allegedly died by suicide in Ranchi on Friday after going live on Facebook, accusing the state's Hemant Soren government and land brokers of harassing her.

In the purported live video, available on her Facebook profile, Bhagat is seen crying and alleging that anyone who raised their voice against "Hemant Soren government and its land brokers meant inviting death".

"I should have understood this earlier... People say there is BJP, there is Congress, but there is no one... My parents will be deeply hurt. My father played his role in the Jharkhand agitation. I tried very hard to fight the administration and also tried to talk to them about security... But today I have to embrace my own death because this Hemant Soren government can humiliate women, and I cannot bear this," she said in the video.

The nearly 11-minute video abruptly cuts off, with the camera appearing to be obstructed by a green object.

Police recover activist's body, investigation underway

SP (Ranchi City) Paras Rana told PTI that Bhagat's body was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a room at her residence.

The body has been sent to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) for post-mortem examination, he added.

"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 officer said, adding that a detailed investigation had been initiated.

BJP demands Hemant Soren's resignation

The opposition BJP demanded the chief minister's resignation over the activist's death, while the JMM ally CPI(ML) Liberation sought a fair investigation.

Leader of the Opposition Babulal Marandi described Bhagat as a young tribal leader who fought for the rights of her community.

"She held Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the Pithoria police station in-charge, and Ajay Tirkey responsible for this," he said in a social media post.

He described it as "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.

BJP state president Aditya Sahu alleged that Bhagat was deeply distressed by harassment by middlemen and associates of the chief minister, claiming this drove her to take the extreme step after going live on social media.

Sahu also questioned the police response, alleging that they had failed to intervene despite her statement during the Facebook Live session that she was going to die.

"If the police had acted immediately, perhaps her life would not have been lost," he said, demanding action against the police personnel concerned and those whose alleged statements had hurt the young leader.

Former chief minister Champai Soren described Bhagat's death as an irreparable loss to the tribal community.

Former chief minister Raghubar Das alleged that the state government was protecting land brokers.

The CPI(ML) Liberation, an ally of Soren's Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), expressed grief over Bhagat's death and demanded an impartial, high-level probe into the incident.

"The untimely demise of a tribal leader is heart-wrenching. The truth of the matter must surface, and the bereaved family should get justice," the party's state secretary, Manoj Bhakat, said.

He urged the state government to take the incident seriously and ensure an impartial investigation.