The West Bengal government on Monday set up a special investigation team ( SIT) to probe the death of student leader Anish Khan. The announcement comes after massive protests have erupted over the death of Anish, a popular student leader who led a number of social movements, including against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
Four people, one in police uniform and three dressed as civic police volunteers, barged inside the Amta house of Anish, put a firearm to head of his father and threw the student leader from the third storey of the under-construction house. There have been no arrests so far, which has aggravated the situation.
“The State government will conduct an impartial investigation… A SIT is being constituted under the Chief Secretary and whoever is guilty will be punished,” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said. She said the death was unfortunate and the SIT would submit its report within 15 days.
Ms. Banerjee said that those who were visiting the family just to show their faces on television did not know that “I was in touch with Anish and he had helped us during the elections”.
Family for CBI probe
The family members of the deceased were scheduled to visit the State Secretariat and meet the Chief Minister, but after the announcement of the SIT they dropped the plan. The family members said they wanted a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
“ We have faith in Didi [Ms. Banerjee] but not in her police.. We would have been happy if Didi would come here and meet Anish’s ailing father,” said the brother of the deceased.
Earlier in the day, Panchayat Minister Pulak Roy visited the residence of Anish. The Minister faced protests by the locals who demanded justice for Anish. A team of police personnel led by the District Deputy Superintendent of Police who visited the site of the incident had to face tough questions, “Where were you that day [February 18, when the incident occurred],” the locals asked. The family members refused to hand over Anish’s mobile phone to the police and said they would only hand over to an external agency or court.
Meanwhile, protests continued for the third consecutive day over the death of Anish. Student organisations of the Left parties and the Congress organised protests in Kolkata demanding justice for the family. The student group also clashed with police. The members of the civil society organised a protest rally in Kolkata with a large banner “Amar Bhaier Rakte Rangano…[Coloured in my brother’s blood]” taken from lyrics of a song to mark the Bengali Language Movement in 1952 in East Pakistan now Bangladesh. February 21 is observed as International Mother Language Day across the world.
The Calcutta High Court also took cognisance of the death and asked the State government to submit a report. The matter will come up for hearing again on February 24.
