Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has written a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the mysterious death of IIT-Kharagpur student from Assam, Faizan Ahmed.
Faizan, a 23-year-old third-year mechanical engineering student from Tinsukia district in Assam, was found dead in an unassigned room at Lala Lajpat Rai Hostel of IIT-Kharagpur on October 14, 2022.
A recent forensic report, ordered by the Calcutta high court and conducted by Dr AK Gupta, reveals a gunshot wound and a stab wound on Faizan’s neck, overturning previous suggestions of suicide.
Assam CM wrote, “In view of the shocking findings of the latest forensic report, it is imperative that the perpetrators of the horrific crime as well as any other person involved in concealing the crime, are brought to book, thereby ensuring justice to the deceased and closure to the grief-stricken parents. I, therefore, request you to kindly hand over the case to the CBI for a transparent and fair investigation of the crime.”
The expert’s detailed analysis, submitted to the court in May this year, indicates a gunshot wound on the upper left side of Faizan’s neck and a stab wound on the right.
These critical injuries were not documented during the initial police investigation or during the first autopsy performed at Midnapore Medical College in October 2022.
Dr Gupta’s second autopsy report, however, reveals these injuries and further notes human blood on Faizan’s nail cuttings, hair strands, spine, mandible, and back muscles.
Initially, his death was ruled a suicide, but his family alleged foul play, citing instances of ragging he had reported on campus.
Following pleas from Faizan’s mother, the Calcutta High Court ordered a special investigation team (SIT) to re-examine the case.
In May 2023, the court ordered the exhumation of Faizan’s body for a second autopsy, which ultimately revealed the signs of murder.
The forensic examination conducted by Dr Gupta disclosed additional critical findings. The right temporal bone of Faizan’s skull was missing, aligning with initial photographs of his body, and the report definitively ruled out poisoning as a cause of death.
Despite these revelations, the investigation faces significant challenges. The initial police response and investigation were criticized for being inadequate.