All-India general secretary of Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Mayukh Biswas was detained in Kolkata alongwith other students. West Bengal CM Mamta Bannerjee addressed the media on the case alongwith DGP Manoj Malviya

New Delhi, February 26

The students in Kolkata holding protests over the student leader Anish Khan’s death allegedly clashed with police. The protesting students are demanding a CBI investigation and action against top police officers.

The police detained the students when the clashes erupted. All-India general secretary of Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Mayukh Biswas was detained in Kolkata. 

One of the students identified as Shuja Laskar was severely injured and admitted to SSKM Hospital in Kolkata. 

The SFI had given a call for a protest march from Rashbehari More to Bhawani Bhawan, the state police headquarters. The Kolkata police had deployed police personnel in large numbers at Rashbehari More to stop protesters from reaching the headquarters.

When Left wing students reached More, a scuffle broke out, leaving behind several injured protesters. Later, the students blocked the road, officials said. 

A second march was led by SFI and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) in Amta. The protesters tried to break through the barricades and enter the Amta police station. 

The SIT had arrested two persons in the case homeguard Kashinath Bera and the civic police volunteer identified as Pritam Bhattacharya. The duo made startling revelations after their arrest that were actin “on the instructions of the officer-in-charge”.

Speaking to reporters on the way to a court where they were to be produced,the duo said they had visited Anis’s house on the night of February 18, the day of the incident, but did not know how he died. To a question on whose instructions they had gone to Anis’s house, they claimed they were only carrying out “the OC’s instructions”. “We have been made scapegoats. We are innocent. We were only carrying out orders,” one of the two told mediapersons.

The duo have been suspended from the services after their arrest. 

The student leader Anish Khan was found dead after he was pushed from the his residential building by four men, one of whom was wearing a police uniform. The Kolkata Police had formed a Special Investigation Team which is currently investigating the case. 

The ruling TMC accused CPI(M) of doing politics and asserted that the newly appointed special investigation team (SIT) is impartially probing the murder.

West Bengal CM Mamta Bannerjee addressed a press conference. She said, "“The case is being investigated from all angles. I have directed the police to carry out an impartial probe. We don’t know what actually happened but we will find out the truth soon. No laxity will be tolerated". 

Amid protests calling for a CBI investigation into the case, the CM said, “The administration is taking strict action. Let the police do their job. I grew up leading many protests. You have the right to protest but not to harass people. Yesterday (Tuesday), many couldn’t reach the airport on time due to a road blockade. Stop all this, don’t think the government is weak.”

“We are doing everything to ensure an impartial investigation. But some political parties are trying to create disturbance demanding a CBI inquiry. What will the CBI do? How many cases has the CBI been able to solve? The CBI investigated the Nandigram firing case, Tapasi Malik murder case and the theft of Rabindranath Tagore’s Nobel Prize medal. How many persons did they arrest? Was it able to find any of the culprits? Do not mislead people,” Banerjee said, adding, “By making repeated demands for a CBI inquiry, some people are trying to demoralise our police force.”

West Bengal DGP Manoj Malaviya stated that even before the investigation started, we had placed three police personnel under suspension in the interest of an impartial investigation. The SIT has taken two persons into custody on the basis of the evidence it has gathered so far. However, we are facing obstacles in our probe. Perhaps, there are some political parties which are behind creating these obstacles to hamper our efforts to ensure swift justice in this case.  He urged the family members and other interested parties to refrain from causing such obstructions.