Kolkata/Howrah, Feb 22 (PTI) Two policemen and a civic volunteer were suspended on Tuesday in connection with the probe into the death case of student activist Anish Khan, while his family sought a second autopsy on his body and refused to speak to the members of the SIT demanding a CBI inquiry.
During a march to protest against the alleged killing of Khan by policemen at his residence last week, clashes broke out between personnel of the force and students of Aliah University in College Street area of Kolkata during the day, after the latter tried to break barricade and march towards Writers Buildings, the erstwhile state secretariat.
“An assistant sub-inspector, a constable and a civic volunteer of Amata police station (in Howrah district) have been suspended. This is related to the ongoing investigation in the Anish Khan case,” a senior police officer said.
The police had earlier said that no personnel went to Khan’s house at night on February 18 when he died after a fall from the roof.
Two senior members of the special investigation team (SIT) of the police met the family members of Khan at his house in Amta amid slogan shouting against the force by a group of people.
Khan’s father Salem said, “I don’t have faith in the state police. I don’t want to speak to the SIT about my son’s death. I want a CBI inquiry. Only they can solve the case. I also feel that my son’s body should be sent for post-mortem examination for a second time,” he said.
The family demanded a CBI probe earlier also.
According to his family, four people in uniforms of police and civic volunteers had allegedly pushed off Khan from the third floor of his house in the dead of night on February 18.
It is also claimed that during the incident, the men in uniform had held Khan’s father at gunpoint after barging into the house, citing an ongoing investigation against him.
On Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the formation of the SIT.
The SIT, which has been tasked to submit its report to the government within 15 days, visited the Amta police station on Monday night and inspected the duty roster of February 18, official sources said.
The death of Khan, a vocal critic of the TMC government who was at the forefront of many protests, has rocked the state with students of different colleges and universities hitting the streets, questioning why no arrests could be made even after three days of the incident.
Khan, who was earlier with the CPI (M)-backed SFI, was a prominent face of the protests in Kolkata against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He later joined the Indian Secular Front (ISF).
Meanwhile, police personnel and students of Aliah University clashed in the city’s College Street area during a rally demanding justice for Khan.
The students and other protestors participated in a march and made a human chain at the Park Circus seven-point crossing before resuming the rally in the direction of Writers Buildings in the Dalhousie area.
They later changed the route and took College Street. However, the police had put up barricades there to stop the students.
As the students tried to break the barricades, police used force to disperse them.
Police said some of the activists were detained. PTI PNT CORR SOM NN NN
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