The body of IIT Kharagpur student Faizan Ahmed was exhumed from Amolapatty Kabarsthan in Assam’s Dibrugarh on Tuesday for a second post-mortem, as directed by Calcutta High Court.
The exhumation process started just before 10am in the presence of around 20 people, including executive magistrate Gautam Priya Mahanta.
An official said the remains were taken in a coffin to the Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH). The body will be flown to Kolkata by an Indigo flight at 11am on Wednesday, a family member told The Telegraph.
Justice Rajasekhar Mantha of Calcutta High Court had ordered that the second post-mortem be performed at the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital. The first was performed at the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital.
A partially decomposed body of Faizan, a third-year mechanical engineering student at IIT Kharagpur, was found in a room at the Lala Lajpat Roy Hall of Residence, on the campus, on October 14, 2022.
He was buried at the Amolapatty Kabarsthan in Dibrugarh, his hometown, on October 16.
At the burial ground, Faizan’s father Salim Ahmed said: “My son had complained against ragging. It is because of this (complaint) that I lost my son. What was my son’s fault? Kya gunaah kiya tha (what was his crime)? I am hopeful of getting justice now.”
Faizan’s mother, Rehana, said: “I hope to get justice. Now we will know the truth (after the second post-mortem). My son will get justice. I thank the administration, police and the hospital authorities for extending all support today.”
The exhumation took around 90 minutes and went off smoothly. Along with the body, soil and water samples from the grave were collected for examination.
“The weather was favourable. We started the process soon after the arrival of a team from the directorate of forensic science, Guwahati,” an official said.
Faizan’s parents had moved Calcutta High Court in October last year alleging that their son was “murdered” by senior students because he had resisted ragging. They sought a court-monitored probe as they were “dissatisfied with the inept and tardy investigation by the local police authorities”.
On March 29, forensic medicine expert Ajay Gupta, who was engaged by thehigh court to review the findings of the first post-mortem, told the court that he was not satisfied with the post-mortem report.
Gupta told The Telegraph over the phone on Tuesday: “I had prepared my preliminary report, which was submitted in the court, after seeing the video of the post-mortem. Some things were seen in the video but were not mentioned in the report. Since there were discrepancies between the video and the report, I suggested that a second post-mortem be performed.”
In Dibrugarh, an official said: “The body is almost intact. It will help in the second post-mortem.”
Those present at the site included a four-member police team led by Biswaranjan Banerjee, inspector incharge of Kharagpur Town police station; RenukaRongphapir, head of the department of forensic medicine at Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh; the officer in charge of the local police station; Faizan’s parents; and five labourers.
Three representatives of the IIT, including registrar Tamal Nath, were also there, but were asked to leave after Faizan’s parents and residents of the area opposed their presence.
Entry into the burial ground was barred while the exhumation was on, but a crowd had gathered outside.
Rehana said: “They (the IIT officials) came yesterday but did not inform us. They did not even have a word with us despite knowing us.”
Registrar Nath told reporters: “We have full sympathy (for the family). He was our child. We came according to the court order, which said all parties may be present. Since they have objected, we are leaving. We also want the truth to come out.”
The Khargapur police moved the Dibrugarh chief judicial magistrate’s court on Monday seeking permission to carry out the exhumation. In his order, the CJM directed the district deputy commissioner, police chief and chief medical officer to extend all help in the exhumation.
The DC and SP were also asked to make arrangements with the airport manager to fly the body to Kolkata.
Faizan’s parents will accompany the body and bring it back after the second post-mortem, his mother said.