At a time when the RG Kar rape and homicide trial has hit the headlines as soon as once more with former principal of the institute, Sandip Ghosh, and former officer-in-charge of Tala police station, Abhijit Mondal, securing bail, The Indian Categorical lists three different latest instances from West Bengal whereby shiny, younger lives have been snuffed out underneath mysterious circumstances.
The homicide of Anis Khan, 28, a Muslim scholar chief, allegedly by police personnel, put the Trinamool Congress authorities in West Bengal in a good spot. Based on Anis Khan’s father Salem Khan, on the evening of February 19, 2022, 4 individuals – one in police uniform and three dressed as civic volunteers – forcibly entered his home in Amta, Howrah district, looking for Anis Khan. Whereas the person in uniform reportedly detained Salem Khan at gunpoint, the opposite three went upstairs in quest of his son. Salem Khan accused the boys dressed as civic volunteers of pushing his son to his loss of life from the third ground of the home. He claimed that after Anis Khan fell to the bottom, the three males got here downstairs and advised the person in uniform, “Sir, the job is finished.”
A scholar of Aliah College, Anis Khan was a frontrunner of the College students’ Federation of India (SFI) earlier than turning into an lively member of the Indian Secular Entrance (ISF), which was shaped simply forward of the 2021 West Bengal Meeting elections by influential Islamic cleric Abbas Siddiqui. Anis Khan was additionally a outstanding determine through the protests towards the Citizenship (Modification) Act (CAA) and the Nationwide Register of Residents (NRC) in Kolkata. On the time of his loss of life, he was finding out journalism and was a frontrunner of the scholar wing of the ISF at Aliah College.
Anis Khan’s household filed a petition in Calcutta Excessive Courtroom for a CBI investigation. Nevertheless, the Courtroom stored religion within the Particular Investigation Crew (SIT) shaped by the state authorities. The SIT filed a chargesheet at ACJM of Uluberia Courtroom, Howrah on July 10, 2022. Within the chargesheet, the SIT mentioned, “Within the mild of details and circumstances elicited through the investigation in addition to evidentiary evaluation of all collected oral, documentary and bodily proof, the investigation has revealed {that a} police get together led by ASI Nirmal Das and comprising… HO Kashinath Bera and Civic volunteer Pritam Bhattacharjee had been to the home of deceased Anis Khan on 19.02.2022 at about 01:00 hrs and made a forcible entry into the home. The raid by the police crew was not in accordance with process offered by regulation and extant police rules.”
It additional said, “Investigation has additional revealed that complete raid was carried out in pursuance discussions between SI Debabrata Chakravorty, the then officer-in-charge of Amta police station and one civic volunteer specifically Sourav Kanrar and police crew proceeded to the home of Anis Khan with out taking needed steps required in compliance to regulation on the instructions of OC Amta PS. Such acts by aforesaid police personnel and auxiliary workers tantamount to offences of conspiracy to illegally confine an individual and home trespass for which they’re liable to be prosecuted in accordance with the regulation.”
Salem Khan’s counsel Shamim Ahmed mentioned, “Within the chargesheet… 103 witnesses have been named out of which just one witness… Salem Khan’s account has been taken until date. We don’t understand how a lot time it’ll take to finish the trial.”
Faizan Ahmed, scholar, IIT Kharagpur
Two years have handed (October 14, 2022) because the tragic loss of life of Faizan Ahmed, 23, a mechanical engineering scholar from Tinsukia, Assam. Regardless of preliminary police claims of suicide, the deceased’s household alleged foul play and said that he was a sufferer of ragging at Lala Lajpat Rai Hostel in IIT Kharagpur.
The case, at the moment sub judice, took a big flip with the submission of a second forensic report just a few months in the past. This report, contradicting the preliminary police narrative, highlighted gunshot accidents on Ahmed’s physique. The court docket is now awaiting a last forensic report back to corroborate these findings.
Aniruddha Mitra, a lawyer representing the sufferer’s household, questioned the motive behind “prematurely classifying the loss of life as a suicide, even earlier than initiating thorough investigations”. In Ahmed’s case, the preliminary declare of self-inflicted wrist accidents was not substantiated by any proof, together with a lacking viscera report. Justice Rajshekhar Mantha’s order for a second autopsy was challenged by the state however in the end upheld.
The most recent forensic report additional strengthened the household’s suspicions. Human blood was detected on Ahmed’s nail cuttings, hair strands, backbone, mandible, and again muscle mass. The physician conducting the second post-mortem additionally highlighted the absence of the correct temporal bone of the deceased’s cranium, aligning with preliminary pictures of the crime scene. The report has excluded poisoning as a explanation for loss of life.
Because the authorized battle continues, Ahmed’s household stays steadfast within the pursuit of justice.
17-year-old scholar of Jadavpur College
A father whose minor son tragically died underneath mysterious circumstances at Jadavpur College has been tirelessly preventing for justice. For over a yr, he has been attending quite a few court docket hearings, dealing with 12 accused and their authorized groups. Regardless of the immense emotional turmoil and the toll it has taken on his household, the sufferer’s father stays decided to hunt justice for his son.
On August 9, 2023, the 17-year-old boy fell from the second-floor balcony of a hostel constructing. Police investigations revealed a harrowing ordeal of bullying, sexual abuse, and humiliation the boy endured by the hands of his seniors. The accused, a mixture of present and former college students, have been charged underneath the Pocso Act and IPC sections associated to abetment to suicide.
Talking to Indian Categorical, the sufferer’s father mentioned, “There are 12 accused. Each time any of them apply for bail, I seem in court docket. That is along with simultaneous hearings of my son’s loss of life. I’ve not missed one single court docket listening to. My complete life has modified. My spouse continues to be in shock, it’s already one yr however I’m decided that I’ll see the tip of this case. I’ve misplaced my son however I don’t need anybody to undergo this. I curse myself for placing my son in Jadavpur College…”
He mentioned he had misplaced all hopes of justice however very just lately the trial has been expedited.
“Practically 40-50 advocates have been there to take their (accused) case and combat with us. I might get so disheartened seeing all this. It was just like the case was slipping from my hand. The accused individuals have cash and might afford the most effective attorneys to show themselves harmless however a father’s battle is not going to be wasted. I’ve full religion within the judiciary,” the deceased’s father added.
Talking concerning the case, a police officer mentioned, “We’ve proof that he was sexually abused, compelled to strip and the fees have been framed accordingly.”
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