CBI gets 2 months for Nandigram investigation
Kolkata,
Dec
17:
The
Calcutta
High
Court
on
Dec
17
asked
the
Central
Bureau
of
Investigation
(CBI)
to
submit
its
final
report
on
the
March
14
police
firing
incident
in
Nandigram
within
two
months,
in
spite
of
the
investigating
agency's
plea
of
granting
them
four
months
time
to
complete
their
investigation.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice S S Nijjar and Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh issued the directive to the CBI asking it to submit the final report by February 15. At least 14 people were killed when police fired bullets on activists of Trinamool Congress spearheaded Bhoomi Uchched Protirodh Committee (BUPC), who were protesting against the setting up of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Nandigram.
The Supreme Court has already stayed a Calcutta High Court order directing the CBI to begin criminal proceedings against police officials for the March 14 incident.
The West Bengal Government has contended that the Calcutta High Court had made a "premature conclusion" without properly evaluating the evidence on record.
The State Government had planned to set up a SEZ for chemical industries in Nandigram, but had to abort the project as villagers refused to give up their farmland for the project.
The row saw violent clashes between residents opposed to the project and the communist supporters as well as police.
ANI
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