The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday set up an independent investigation team to probe the unnatural death of IIT-Kharagpur student Faizan Ahmed. Justice Rajasekhar Mantha who is hearing the case set up the team after the second post-mortem of the third-year Mechanical Engineering student showed evidence of homicide. The court directed that charges under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) be added.
“This Court, considering the entire facts and circumstances of the case and the new evidence in the second post mortem report, is inclined to replace the existing Investigating Officer [IO] in the matter with an independent team. This Court directs the appointment of K. Jayaraman, IPS ADG Headquarters, West Bengal to lead the investigation in the matter,” the order said.
Justice Mantha said that Mr. Jayaraman will be assisted by Susanta Dhar, a retired senior officer of the Homicide Division of Kolkata Police. The order stated that Kaushik Basak, currently Officer-in-Charge (OC), Homicide, of West Bengal CID will be the new IO who shall function under the supervision and guidance of Mr. Jayaraman.
The court also permitted the newly appointed investigating team to, if necessary, “conduct a truth serum and narco analysis test on any of the witnesses or persons they deem necessary to throw light on the incident”. The decision, according to the court, was in view of the serious omissions in the first post-mortem report and the misdirection of the earlier investigation.
Faizan’s mother Rehana Ahmed who is in Kolkata since May 24 had said that she had no faith in the IO and had demanded that the investigation be handed over to a Special Investigation Team (SIT). Ms. Ahmad had also complained about the delay in returning to Dibrugarh, her hometown, with the body of her son.
During the day, the court directed that the body of the victim shall be forthwith transmitted back to Dibrugarh by the State within three days from the hearing date. “The victim’s mother, who is residing in Calcutta, is destitute and poor. The State shall arrange for the mother to travel back to Dibrugarh,” the order said. Justice Mantha also directed that the matter will come up for hearing on July 12, 2023 when the newly appointed investigating team shall submit a progress report before the court.
Faizan Ahmed, a third-year Mechanical Engineering student at IIT-Kharagpur, was found dead at the institute’s hostel on October 14, 2022. Family members approached the Calcutta High Court seeking a probe into the death of the student. Earlier this year the High Court had ordered a second post-mortem of the victim’s body along with forensic investigation into the death by an expert who submitted his report before the court where it was pointed that the death may be homicidal in nature.