Could not recognise accused duo at identification parade: Anis’s father

Homeguard Kashinath Bera and civic volunteer Pritam Bhattacharya were arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of being involved in Anis’s death. However, on the way to being produced at a court on Thursday, both claimed that they visited the student leader’s house on the night of the incident on the “OC’s instructions” and did not know how he died.

According to police sources, the homeguard and the civic volunteer had claimed during interrogation that Anis jumped off his house on seeing them, in a bid to escape. However, the SIT is yet to reveal why they went to his house at midnight.

Speaking to reporters after the TI parade, Salem Khan said, “The man who held me at gunpoint and stopped me at the gate (of his residence) on the night of the incident, wasn’t there. He hasn’t been arrested. I couldn’t recognise the ones who were there.”

The procedure at the Uluberia jail lasted about two-and-a-half hours. As per a Calcutta High Court order, Anis’s mobile phone was handed over to the investigators by his family members in the presence of a magistrate. His father was initially reluctant to hand over his son’s phone, which has two SIM cards, to the SIT.

Officers from the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was set up by the state government to probe the death of the student leader, arrived at Anis’s Amta residence around 1.30pm on Friday to take him for the TI parade.

According to sources, though Anis’s father initially informed the SIT members that he was unwell, he later agreed to go to the Uluberia court with his lawyers.

He kept the officers waiting for hours before finally tagging along with his lawyers, sources said.