Two years after the death of SFI leader Sudipta Gupta, Calcutta police have officially declared that the complaint of culpable homicide not amounting to murder lodged by SFI activists has been found to be untrue. The police have also moved court, seeking permission to prosecute an SFI Calcutta district committee secretariat member for misleading them by allegedly lodging a false complaint.

Sudipta, 23, who was arrested from Esplanade after a law-violation programme on April 2, 2013, died while being taken to Presidency jail along with other activists in a bus hired by the police. Medical experts had concluded that he died after he fell off the bus while it was taking a sharp turn and hit his head against a lamp post.

Dona Gupta, who the police said was not in the bus with Sudipta, had lodged a complaint, accusing the cops of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. "No truth has been found in the complaint lodged by Dona Gupta in connection with the death of Sudipta Gupta two years ago," police commissioner Surajit Kar Purkayastha said on Thursday evening.

The commissioner's press briefing was meant to counter allegations of lathi-charge during an SFI law-violation programme at RR Avenue to mark the second death anniversary of their comrade on Thursday.

Police sources at Lalbazar said Dona had come up with conflicting versions while describing the incidents leading up to Sudipta's death.

"Initially, when Sudipta was taken to hospital, she had said that his death was an accident. Later, when she went to the police station to lodge a complaint, she claimed he had died because of police excesses and their negligence," said a senior officer at Lalbazar.

Dona has denied any interaction with the police at the hospital.

Joint commissioner (crime) Pallab Kanti Ghosh said the police had already submitted in court that the complaint lodged by Dona was false. "We have submitted before the court that the complaint was false. We have also sought permission to prosecute the complainant (Dona) under Section 182 of the IPC that deals with providing false information to a public servant in order to cause him to use his lawful power to the injury or annoyance of another person," Ghosh said.

The police are yet to get a green light from the court to prosecute Dona.

The charge, if proved, could lead to imprisonment of up to six months.

Dona, who is set to contest the municipal polls as a Left Front candidate from Ward 17 of Kamarhati Municipality on the northern outskirts of Calcutta later this month, questioned the police's timing. She alleged they were trying to start a case against her because she was an election candidate.

"It will be clear to anyone why the police are trying to start a case against me now," she told Metro. "I lodged a written complaint with Hastings police station the day Sudipta Gupta died. Later, members of the human rights commission had come to my home to record my statement. My statement was video- recorded by a CID team. Why did it take the police two years to realise that I tried to mislead them?"

After Sudipta's death, three cases had been registered, including the one that Dona lodged against the police. The two other cases - one against the driver and owner of the bus from which Sudipta had fallen and the other lodged by a home-guard alleging assault by unknown SFI students - are pending.

"We have submitted chargesheets against the driver and owner of the bus, while investigation into the home guard's complaint is yet to be wrapped up," said Ghosh.

SFI supporters organised a law-violation programme at RR Avenue on Thursday afternoon to mark Gupta's death anniversary. The programme ended in a scuffle between the police and the protesters, leaving some injured on both sides.

"We had expected it to be a peaceful programme. The police personnel manning the barricades were not even carrying lathis. However a group of students suddenly tried to topple the barricades and attacked the police. The incident left nine policemen injured. Some of the agitators were also injured," Kar Purkayastha said.

The additional officer-in-charge of Amherst Street police station, Manoj Jha, sustained head injuries and had to be given five stitches.