The family of deceased student activist Anish Khan on Thursday led a demonstration before Amta police station in Howrah district demanding the arrest of four persons, including the local Trinamul Congress MLA, accusing them of being involved in his "murder". TMC MLA Sukanta Pal denied any involvement and said he has complete faith in the investigation and judiciary.
At one point, the protesters, who included people from Khan's village and other areas of the district, tried to break the police cordon and pelted stones at the police station.
However, Khan's father pacified the crowd saying their target was not the junior police personnel but the "big fishes" who were behind the alleged murder of the prominent student leader of the Indian Secular Front (ISF), which contested last year's assembly election in alliance with the Left Front.
Khan's father Salem demanded the arrest of four persons - local TMC MLA Sukanta Pal, the officer in charge of Amta police station, the head and deputy head of the local gram panchayat.
"Anish had earned their wrath as he exposed their corruption and unholy nexus in the area. If they are not arrested, nothing will be served. Please do not deflect the issue by storming into the police station and attacking the junior level personnel," he said. The septuagenarian did not elaborate on the issue of corruption or nexus.
Khan's father later said they would march to the office of SP Howrah (Rural) on Sunday if the four persons were not arrested by then. Reacting to the allegation, Amta MLA Sukanta Pal told PTI he wanted the truth to come out and culprits to be booked.
"I don't know what he has said. I don't want to comment on it as an investigation is on. I want the truth to come out and the culprits to be booked. But I don't know why after five days, my name is being dragged into it," he said.
Meanwhile, Home Guard Kashinath Bera posted at Amta police station and civic volunteer Pritam Bhattacharya, who were arrested on Wednesday in connection with the case, said they were being made "scapegoats as they were just following orders".
"We are being made scapegoats. We know nothing about the death of Anish Khan. We went to his house as our superior officer asked us to go to his residence," they told reporters when they were being taken inside a police van.
A special investigation team (SIT) set up by the state government to probe the matter has arrested the home guard and the civic volunteer. The victim's father also said that he was in favour of a CBI inquiry into the "murder" of his son or a probe under the supervision of the high court.
On the Calcutta High Court's order for a second post-mortem examination on the student leader's body under certain conditions, he said he has not seen the order. Leaders of the ISF also attended the rally from the residence of Khan to the police station, about 10 kilometres away.
Khan's family members have alleged that he was pushed off the second floor of their residence at Amta in Howrah district on the night of February 18 by four persons, with one donning a police uniform and the others wearing the dress of civic volunteers.
Khan, who was earlier with SFI, the student wing of the CPI(M), was a prominent face of the protests in Kolkata against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He had later joined the ISF.
Khan's mysterious death has sparked widespread protests. Earlier in the day, members of Chhatra Parishad, the student arm of the Congress, and DYFI, the youth wing of the CPI(M), marched before the Amta police station demanding justice for the family.
Students of Aliah University also took out a rally and sought the arrest of those involved in the "murder". Khan was an alumnus of Aliah University. The Jadavpur University Teachers Association (JUTA) said it will hold a meeting on the JU campus on Friday to protest against the "killing" of Khan.
JUTA general secretary Partha Pratim Roy told PTI that students and teachers of every institute should join hands to protest against the tendency of political leaders to silence the voice of dissent.
