SC to hear West Bengal govt appeal tomorrow

New Delhi, Dec 12 (UNI) The Supreme Court will hear tomorrow the appeal of West Bengal Government against Kolkata High Court's order directing the State Government to pay compensation of Rs five lakhs each to the families of those killed in Nandigram police firing.

A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan will hear the West Bengal Government appeal tomorrow.

The Left run government in its appeal has also requested the apex court to expunge the findings given by the High Court that Nandigram police firing was unconstitutional.

According to the petitioner state, it is not opposed to the CBI inquiry but the finding of the High Court that the firing was unconstitutional has tied the hands of the investigating agencies as they cannot go beyond the findings given by the Court and the investigation stands foreclosed.

The High Court, in its judgement delivered in November this year, had directed the state government also to pay compensation to those seriously injured in the firing.

Owners of agricultural land in Nandigram have been protesting the State Government's ''forceable acquisition'' of 1,000 acres of their land for for setting up of SEZ by Takes.

CPM goons had last month allegedly got vacated several villages by force and large number of people were killed in police firing and women were also raped in the incident.

The Left Front Government, particularly CPM, has been under heavy fire from all quarters for what had happened in Nandigram and even its Left Front partners have condemned the killings.

UNI