KOLKATA: The Calcutta high court, which took cognisance on its own of the alleged murder of student activist Anis Khan on Monday, is likely to hear the case on Thursday.
Khan’s family has refused to cooperate with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to investigate the case and is demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.
On Wednesday, a home guard and a civic police volunteer were arrested in connection with the alleged murder of Khan, who was an Indian Secular Front student leader.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also in charge of the home department, said she was unsure if the charges will be proved in court, but the two have been taken into custody so that they cannot influence the investigation. “We want an impartial investigation so that the truth is revealed. I do not want to interfere in any impartial investigation. It is being done because allegations have been raised against the police department. The government is very tough. Law will follow its own course.”
A single bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha took the cognisance of the case while hearing an oral plea by an advocate praying for the court’s intervention.
On Tuesday, the state government suspended an assistant police sub-inspector, a constable, and a home guard on charges of negligence. The SIT has questioned four police officers.
Students from Aliah University organised a rally while those at Jadavpur University and Presidency University staged protests over the alleged murder. The student’s wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress also joined the protests.
Four unidentified men allegedly murdered Khan, an Aliah University student and a prominent face of the anti-National Register of Citizen protests, in the early hours of Saturday in Howrah. One of the accused was wearing a police uniform and carrying a firearm. The rest were wearing uniforms of civic volunteers. Khan’s family alleged he was thrown off from the second floor of their house.
