The West Bengal government on Tuesday, 22 February, suspended two policemen and dismissed a home guard from service in connection with the Anis Khan murder case, as per a report by The Telegraph.
The development comes a day after a high-level special investigation team (SIT) was set up to probe the death of the 28-year-old student leader.
The three personnel were identified as assistant sub-inspector Nirmal Das, constable Jitendra Hembram, and home guard Krishnanath Bera.
Khan was allegedly pushed from the second floor of his house in Amta, Howrah, by four unidentified persons, of whom one was dressed as a police officer.
DGP Manoj Malviya said that the matter was still under investigation, but did not confirm whether the three suspended personnel were among the four persons who had gone to the Amta locality.
Students Organise Protest Demanding Justice for Khan
Meanwhile, the students of Aliah University marched in protest to the Writer's Building on Tuesday, 22 February, demanding justice for Anis Khan, as per news agency ANI.
The police used force to disperse the students and many were detained by the police.
Earlier, ANI had reported that the West Bengal Police had constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by ADGP CID Gyanwant Singh to investigate the alleged murder of Anis Khan. The SIT will submit its report within 15 days.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had, on Monday, said that she ordered an SIT probe into the case, The Indian Express reported.
"An SIT will be set up to investigate the death of student leader Anis Khan. The chief secretary and the director-general of the criminal investigation department will be part of the SIT. It will submit its report within 15 days," Banerjee said at the state government's headquarters in Nabanna.
A case was registered under Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on the complaint by the deceased’s father, Salam Khan.
Calcutta HC Takes Suo Motu Cognisance
After Banerjee's assurance of constituting an SIT to look into Anis Khan's death, the Calcutta High Court took suo motu cognisance of the case later in the day, in response to a plea submitted before it by senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, Live Law reported.
Bhattacharya, in his plea, had argued that the murder was conceived in advance and needed urgent jurisdictional intervention.
In the orders to initiate proceedings in the high court, Justice Rajasekhar Mantha called the situation 'grave and emergent,' saying that Khan's murder was a shocking turn of events.
"It is also apprehended that investigation may be frustrated and compromised since allegations are primarily against the members of the ruling dispensation," the order further stated.
The matter is scheduled to be heard next Thursday, 24 February.
Background
Khan's family members had alleged that four unidentified persons, out of which one was dressed as a police officer and carried a gun and the other three as civic volunteers, barged into their house on Friday night, saying that they were from the Bagnan police station, as per the report by The Indian Express.
"When I opened the door, they pushed me aside and barged into the house searching for Anis. They went upstairs and threw my son off the roof and fled," Salam Khan, Anis' father, told The Indian Express.
Anis' father said that he heard a loud thud, after which he looked outside and saw his son lying in a pool of blood.
However, the Kolkata Police had said that none of its personnel were involved in the incident.
As per the report by The Telegraph, the deceased's father said that in May 2021, Anis had lodged a complaint against a local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader who had threatened to kill him for organising a blood donation camp in the village.
Anis Khan, who was associated with the Indian Secular Front, had previously supported the Students' Federation of India (SFI) during his college days.
(Photo: The Quint)
Khan's death triggered widespread protests in the Park Circus area of Kolkata on Saturday, 19 February, where some police personnel and protesters clashed.
The Students' Federation of India’s Unit Secretary for Aliah University Tariqul Anwar demanded a proper investigation, saying that Khan was a known “vocal student leader” and that they thought his death was a “big conspiracy."
A preliminary post-mortem report revealed severe injuries to the back of the head and body and a few marks on the right leg. Officers are awaiting the final report, reported The Telegraph.
(With inputs from The Indian Express, The Telegraph, and Live Law.)
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