The relatives of the deceased student leader Anish Khan did not allow the administration to take out the body on Saturday. Anish Khan was found dead at his Amta House on February 18 and his death triggered massive protests across the state.
A magistrate along with several policemen arrived at the student leader’s residence in the early hours of Saturday to retrieve the body but his father Salem Khan did not allow him to do so.
Mr Khan said he was unwell and the body could be taken for a second post-mortem only on February 28. He said the police tried to ‘steal’ the body in the morning, which was opposed by the villagers.
On February 24, the Calcutta High Court, with the consent of all the parties, had directed a second post-mortem after exhuming the body under the supervision of a district judge.
On the instructions of the Hon’ble High Court, the members of the SIT today [Special Investigation Team] Went with magistrate to take out the body for keeping PM ahead, which was stopped in complete violation of WB’s top court order,” tweeted the police from its official handle.
The SIT was formed by the state government on February 21 to probe the death of the 28-year-old student.
Later in the day, the situation in Howrah’s Panchala turned volatile when students and youth wing of Left parties laid siege to the office of SP Howrah, Rural.
Violence broke out when the protesters pelted stones at the police and the SP office. There was a fierce fight for several minutes. Traffic on the highway next to the SP office was disrupted for some time.
Police fired tear gas shells and several protesters were detained. Additional DGP and South Bengal Inspector General of Police Siddhi Nath Gupta, who was present on the spot, said 17 people have been arrested and the police fired six tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
Among those arrested is Minkashi Mukherjee, state secretary of the Democratic Youth Federation of India. Left Front President Biman Bose said that the Left parties will continue the protest till the culprits are punished. Eight policemen were injured in the violence.
Every day since the death of the student leader on February 18, protests are being organized by local villagers and supporters of Left parties. The protests have been turning violent for the past few days. Taking to social media, the police said, “Daily violent demonstrations are being organized at Amta police station and SP office with the aim of derailing the investigation and delaying the investigation.”
The SIT has arrested two policemen, a home guard and a civilian police volunteer, but the family is insisting on a CBI probe into the death. Anish Khan’s father had said that on February 18, four men barged into his house and threw his son from the third floor of the house.
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