Left-wing students on Thursday clashed with police during their protest march in Kolkata, reiterating their demand for a CBI investigation into former student leader Anis Khan’s murder at his Howrah home, and action aginst top police officers.
All-India general secretary of Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Mayukh Biswas was among several students who were detained at Rashbehari More in Kolkata. One Shuja Laskar was severely injured and admitted to SSKM Hospital in Kolkata. The ruling TMC accused CPI(M) of doing politics and asserted that the newly appointed special investigation team (SIT) is impartially probing the murder. The SFI had on Thursday given a call for a protest march from Rashbehari More to Bhawani Bhawan, the state police headquarters.
Early on Friday morning, police personnel in large numbers were deployed 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.
SFI’s Mayukh Biswas was arrested when he was speaking with the media. “People can see how the police are behaving with students. But, we are not afraid and the movement for justice for Anis will continue,” he said. SFI state secretary Srijan Bhattacharya and other student leaders such as Pratikur Rahman and Dipshita Dhar were also arrested.
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. Slamming the protest, state Transport Minister Firhad Hakim said, “The CPI(M) is doing politics on Anis Khan’s death. The Anis Khan case is no longer a problem. The SIT is investing the case impartially.”