Police investigating the death of Souvik Pal are looking to question five people caught on CCTV from the night of his disappearance after leaving a Manchester nightclub.
Officers would like to speak to the group who were spotted outside the Warehouse Project at around the same time that Souvik left the club.
Souvik, 19, was reported missing by a flatmate at about 5.30am on New Year’s Eve. He was last seen leaving the club in Trafford at 11pm.
His body was recovered from the Bridgewater Canal near Old Trafford football stadium at around 2pm on Tuesday January 22.
Detective Chief Inspector Colin Larkin said: “This has been a very difficult time for the family of Souvik Pal, who understandably want to know the circumstances surrounding his tragic death.
“This is why we are asking for the people pictured to come forward and speak to the police about what they may remember.”
NIGHT OUT: Police want to speak to people in CCTV footage
Three CCTV images show five people who were outside the Warehouse Project after 11pm. From their enquiries, detectives believe they may have seen Souvik, who was seen on footage walking around outside for a short period of time.
One of the people pictured is a young man, who at one point was seen walking away from the Warehouse Project with Souvik. A young woman who is pictured was also seen talking to this man earlier on.
IS THIS YOU? Police want to speak to Warehouse Project revellers
Detectives believe that two people seen a short time later on the other opposite side of the Bridgewater Canal may have been Souvik and this man.
DCI Larkin said: “Our investigation to try and meet this aim is on-going and we need as much information as possible from the public.
“I want to firstly say to them that they are not in any trouble at all and there should be no reason for them to hesitate to get in touch with us.”
A national Facebook campaign to find Souvik was created shortly after his disappearance, and condolences were given when the news came that his body had been found.
REVELLERS: Can you remember leaving WHP that night?
However many of the posts believed that Souvik had been murdered and DCI Larkin has insisted that the detectives on the case are investigating every lead.
“At the moment, I do not believe there are any suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, but we continue to keep an open mind.
“While we cannot rule out any third party involvement, all of our enquiries suggest that Souvik’s death was the result of a tragic accident.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 4423 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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