The Bengal government on Wednesday told Calcutta High Court that Mrityunjoy Barman of Chanda in North Dinajpur had died in police firing last week.

The court was told that an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of police on duty had been forced to open fire two rounds to save his life.

The court was hearing an appeal for a second post-mortem on Mrityunjoy’s mortal remains.

Justice Rajasekhar Mantha turned down the appeal and said the CID would continue with its probe. However, the court also ordered a simultaneous magistrate-level inquiry.

The judge asked the CID to submit a preliminary report to the court on May 12.

While passing the order, Justice Mantha said after knowing the view of the government, his primary observation was that the youth has died in police firing.

This is the first time that authorities have acknowledged that the 33-year-old was shot dead by the police.

In a report in The Telegraph on April 30, a senior police officer who didn't want to be named said a policeman "fired in the air" fearing for life after he was mercilessly beaten by a mob at Chanda village.

Mrityunjoy was killed a day after Kaliaganj police station had been set ablaze and law enforcement personnel assaulted by a mob that was protesting the death of a minor girl. The attack occurred when Rajbanshis and Adivasis together brought out a march, alleging that the girl had been kidnapped and killed and demanding a CBI probe.

The police said the girl had died after consuming poison.

Mrityunjoy was shot dead when the police raided his village in search of those who had attacked the police station.

Around 150km away, the violent incidents in and around Kaliaganj revived the memories of an alleged police firing in 2018.

At Daribhit, also in North Dinajpur, two youths had died in the "police firing" while they were protesting against the "faulty" appointment of teachers at a local school.

Manju Barman, a homemaker at Daribhit, is protecting the grave of his son Tapash, who was killed in the firing.

Like Manju, Jyotsna, the mother of Mrityunjoy, didn't cremate his son and instead buried the body.

Both the women think only CBI probes into the deaths of their sons would give them justice.

“My son and his friend Rajesh died because police opened fire on them. Senior officials denied the firing charge. Since then, we have been demanding a CBI investigation. More than five years have passed but we have not lost hope,” said Manju.

She visits her son’s grave regularly and offers prays.

“We had buried the mortal remains of our son and Rajesh instead of cremating them.... We felt it necessary because the CBI might need to exhume the bodies for the probe,” Manju said.

A CID investigation into the duo’s deaths is still in progress.