Calcutta HC rules out CBI probe in student leader Anis Khan’s death

Kolkata: The West Bengal government, on Tuesday, heaved a sigh of relief after a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court ruled out a CBI probe into the mysterious death of the student leader Anis Khan.

Expressing trust on the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the state police in the matter, Justice Rajasekhar Mantha, on Tuesday, observed that right at this moment he does not find any reason to transfer the probe to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from the SIT of state police, since there had not been any evidence of attempts to influence the probe process.

On February 19, Anis Khan was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his residence at Amta in Kolkata- adjacent Howrah district. His family alleged that he was killed by policemen in uniform. The state police started investigation forming SIT under the leadership of additional director general of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Gyanwant Singh.

The SIT members also arrested a home guard and civic volunteer in this connection.

On April 19, the SIT submitted an 82-page progress report on the investigation to the Calcutta High Court bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha, where the investigation team hinted that Anis Khan’s death was a suicide.

The family of the deceased had been sticking to their demand for a CBI inquiry and also alleged that SIT investigation will actually shield the real culprits.

Expressing deep dissatisfaction over the order of Calcutta High Court’s single- judge bench, Anis Khan’s father Salem Khan said that he is maintaining his stand and will go further with this demand for a CBI probe in the matter.

His counsel said that after the full order is uploaded on the website of the Calcutta High Court, they will study the order and take appropriate steps accordingly.