Senior IPS officers from the Special Investigation Team (SIT), set up by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to probe the alleged murder of student leader Anish Khan, met the victim’s family members on February 22 even as protests by students demanding immediate arrest of the accused persons grew louder in Kolkata, the Hindustan Times reported. “We are speaking to as many people from the victim’s family and neighbours. Forensic samples have also been collected,” said an SIT official reportedly. When the SIT officials went to meet the victim’s family, dozens of villagers poured out on the streets holding placards in their hands demanding a CBI probe.
Khan, a student leader of the Indian Secular Front, was allegedly murdered at Amta in Howrah, around 50 km west of Kolkata, by four unidentified persons in the early hours of Saturday, February 19. A student of Aliah University, he was a prominent face in the anti-CAA protests.
No arrest has been made in connection with the case so far. An assistant sub-inspector of police, a constable and a home guard were suspended on Tuesday, February 22, on charges of negligence in duty. While a few hundred students from Aliah University organised a street rally, students of Jadavpur University and Presidency University staged protests inside their own campuses.
“Those who killed my son were wearing police uniforms. Now, the SIT has been formed comprising police to investigate. We don’t trust the police. We would salam the chief minister a thousand times if she allows a CBI probe. We won’t consider any other investigation apart from a CBI probe,” Salem Khan, the victim’s father reportedly said. While one of the accused was wearing a police uniform and was carrying a firearm, the rest were wearing uniforms of civic volunteers, family members alleged, adding that he was thrown off from the second floor of his house, resulting in his death.
On Monday, February 21, family members found Anish's mobile phone on the terrace from where he was allegedly thrown off. The family members, however, refused to hand it over to the police saying that they would only cooperate if there was a CBI probe or a court-ordered probe.
Meanwhile, a scuffle broke out when the police stopped the rally of the protesting students. The protestors changed the rally route frequently and sat on the roads, bringing traffic to a halt.
