Uproar in West Bengal over Attack on Anis Khan's Brother

Kolkata: An uproar across the state followed an attack on the brother of student leader Anis Khan, who died under controversial circumstances earlier this year, with many political leaders visiting his house.

Communist Party of India – Marxist [CPI(M)] gave a protest call against the attack and urged all parties apart from the TMC and the BJP to join protests on Sunday.

Following the call, Students’ Federation (SFI) of India and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) leaders – including State SFI Secretary Srijan Bhattacharya and DYFI state president Dhrubojyoti Saha – staged a protest in front of Amta Police station. The student youth leaders accused the police of collaborating with the attackers to maim Salman Khan. Apart from this, marches were taken out in Behala, Tollygunge, and Jadavpur of Kolkata.

Salman Khan, brother of student leader Anis Khan, who died under controversial circumstances earlier this year, has reportedly sustained grave head injury in an attack on him by masked assailants armed with machetes in the wee hours of Saturday. Salman Khan was going to the washroom in the morning when assailants wearing black masks attacked him, according to reports.

Salman, who is a key witness in Anis's death case, was at first rushed to a local health centre and then to a hospital. But he was later moved to a hospital in Kolkata as family members said they were scared of the people who are behind Anis's death.

Family members in the past had claimed that Anis was thrown off the roof of their house. His death had triggered protests across the state.   

DYFI leaders including state president Dhrubojyoti Saha, Kalatan Dasgupta, and others visited Salman's house and met his father Salim Khan on Saturday. 

CPI(M) state secretary MD Salim said that the nefarious incident shows the state of law and order in West Bengal.

According to the latest report, the condition of Salman khan who is undergoing treatment at Uluberia Hospital is said to be stable.

No police protection

Recently, Salman had written to the local police station in Amta asking for security, citing a threat from the local upapradhan of Kushberia Gram Panchayat and local youth leaders of Trinamool Congress. However, the police reportedly neither provided any security nor responded to the request. 

Family members of Salman have alleged that "criminals" belonging to the TMC, who allegedly murdered Anis, were behind the recent attack. They said that the criminals are now roaming scot-free as there is no proper investigation into the murder.

On February 18, Anis was thrown off the roof of his house allegedly by men associated with the TMC in Amta of Howrah district. As per the family, four men came to their house searching for Anis around midnight.

"Four men came to our house around 1 am and started banging the gate. They were shouting Anis's name. I knew he had gone out in the evening; I didn't know if he had returned," Salim Khan, Anis's father had said.

The locals have alleged that Anis Khan, who was a front-ranking student leader of the Alia University, was “murdered by the police” for his role in leading the anti-NRC (National Register of Citizens) movement.