CPM state secretary Biman Bose on Monday met the family members of Rizwanur Rahman and apologised for his comment that police and the Todis were not aware that Priyanka and Rizwanur had got their marriage registered.

“Bimanbabu told us he was sorry for his comments, based on what he was briefed earlier,” said Rizwanur’s elder brother Rukbanur.

The meeting at Alimuddin Street was arranged by minority leaders of the CPM as a desperate damage-control measure. The state minority affairs minister Abdus Sattar and former CPM legislator Rabin Deb were also present.

Bose offered sympathy but but gave no assurance of action against the police officers who had allegedly pressured Rizwanur to send Priyanka back to the Todi home days before the youth was found dead.

With the police force on the back foot, Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee met Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi on Monday to press for a CBI inquiry.

According to CPM insiders, some senior leaders were unhappy over comments made by Bose and police commissioner Prasun Mukherjee. MP Mohammed Salim, who is also convener of the party’s central sub-committee on minority affairs, is said to have spoken to politburo members in Delhi on the matter.

“It will send out a wrong signal if we fail to condemn the police’s role in interfering in an inter-community marriage,” said a CPM leader, on condition of anonymity.

Land and land reforms minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah was less guarded during a visit to the Rahman home in Tiljala. “The police are always vulnerable to pressures from the rich. If the Rahmans want to take legal action against the police, I will try my best to help them as a citizen.’’

The party, meanwhile, pledged to “take care of the needs of the Rahman family”. Minority affairs minister Abdus Sattar said: “Since Rizwanur was the principal breadwinner, we must look after the bereaved family.”

With the CPM politburo meeting slated for September 28 in town, some party leaders chalked out plans to take politburo member Brinda Karat to the Rahman home.

The only silver lining for the CPM leadership seemed to be local Trinamul MLA Javed Ahmed Khan’s name being dragged into the controversy.

The Rahmans had alleged that Khan had urged the family to send Priyanka back to her parents.

Khan played down the matter on Monday, saying he had been approached as the local MLA to intervene in a matter involving a Muslim family. “I had merely asked the girl whether she knew that her father was unwell and whether she wanted to visit him.”