Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday set up a Special Investigation Team for a “fair” probe into the death of Anis Khan, a former student of the Aliah University who had been found dead under mysterious circumstances in Howrah’s Amta.

“The probe will find out the real culprits and even if I am involved, I will not spare myself. I’m rough and tough on these issues,” Mamata said at Nabanna.

“I cannot bring back the dead. That is not in my hands. But let me assure the family that I will ensure the criminals are booked after a free and fair probe and brought to trial. Ei tuku aapnder aami kotha ditey paari (I can give my word on this bit),” she added.

Within hours of the chief minister’s announcement, ADG CID Gyanwant Singh was made the head of the three-member SIT. Two other members will be DIG CID (operations) Meeraj Khalid and Dhrubajyoti De from the Barrackpore police commissionerate.

Since Saturday, when the death of the 27-year-old came to light, a section of people had been wondering why the chief minister was maintaining silence on the matter.

Mamata cleared the air on Monday.

“It is an unfortunate incident and no death is desirable. Those who are appearing on television should know that we had a very good connection with Anis,” chief minister said. “He used to keep in touch with me and was of great help during the polls. So, he is (one of) our favourite boys. We want to know exactly what happened, why it happened and who all are involved. The probe will be free and fair. No one will be spared.”

Mamata’s assertions came around the time when a section of police had started getting feedback from officials in the intelligence branch suggesting that a section was trying to ensure that Anis’s death snow-balled into a fiasco as part of an attempt to embarrass the government.

“An attempt is being made to scale up the movement in Anis’s case along the lines of the one that the state had witnessed following the death of Rizwanur Rehman in 2007,” said a senior police officer. “An unrest would serve the interests of all stake holders ahead of the polls at 108 municipalities on Sunday.”

Panchayat affairs minister Pulak Roy on Monday met Anis’s father Salam Khan with a proposal for a meeting with Mamata at Nabanna. After agreeing to meet the chief minister initially, he later decided to stay put citing illness.

Early on Monday, an officer of the rank of deputy superintendent of police tried to start a conversation with the family but failed initially before returning to the house after a gap of few hours.

Justice Rajasekhar Mantha of Calcutta High Court on Monday initiated a suo-motu proceeding into Anis’s death.

Justice Mantha asked the state government to file a detailed report on the incident by.