KOLKATA: Calcutta high court on Monday took suo motu cognizance of the unnatural death of 28 year-old student leader Anis Khan, who was allegedly pushed off the roof of his three-storied Amta house by a group of men. One of them was reportedly dressed in a police uniform.
Justice Rajasekhar Mantha on Monday directed state lawyer Amitesh Banerjee to take comprehensive instructions from the state and file an affidavit by February 24 when the court takes up the matter for hearing.
Lawyer Kaustav Bagchi had made a mention of the incident in the high court, urging the court to take cognizance of the case suo motu. Justice Mantha directed Bagchi to file an affidavit by 2pm on Monday. During hearing, senior lawyer Bikash Bhattacharya pleaded that it was a “pre-planned murder”.
On the streets, the issue had political reverberations. Lone Indian Secular Front (ISF) MLA Mohammad Nawsad Siddique reached out to the victim’s family on Monday after the father had declined the “job offer” from a government representative. “I am happy that the CM finally broke the silence. I want an immediate arrest of the culprits. I learned from the bereaved family that police have installed CCTV near the house after the incident. I fear that they did this to keep tabs on who all are visiting the house,” the ISF MLA said.
Anis had been leading a movement in Aliah University and used to frequent the anti-CAA stir at Park Circus, said CPM state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra. “His father demanded a CBI inquiry. We want a court-monitored probe into the death. Last night, the CM’s men tried to lure the family with job offers and money and also wanted the father to meet the CM at Nabanna today. But he has declined the offer,” Mishra said.
Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said: “Can a father forget his son for money and a job offer?” National vice-president Dilip Ghosh added: “Let the state government hand over the case to the CBI as the family wanted it.”
