Supreme Court defers W. Bengal Government's plea on Nandigram

New Delhi, Feb.25 : The Supreme Court has deferred for four weeks the hearing on a petition filed by the West Bengal Government challenging a Calcutta High Court order indicting it for "unjustified" firing which left 14 dead in Nandigran last year.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan adjourned the hearing after it was rought to its notice that rejoinders and counter-affidavits were yet to be filed.

The court on 13th December last year had restrained the CBI from initiating criminal proceedings in court against police officials for the 14th March firing.

However, it had said that the CBI would continue the probe.

The West Bengal Government had challenged the High Court order indicting it for "unjustified" firing on innocent people in Nandigram and directing it to pay a uniform compensation of Rs. five lakh to each of the 14 persons killed and Rs. two lakh and Rs one lakh to those raped and injured in the incidents.

The court had said it was not going to interfere with the findings of the High Court at this stage as the investigating agency was to file its report on 17th December.

Later, the High Court had extended the time for CBI to file the report.

The apex court had issued notice to the NGO, Association for Protection for Democratic Rights, and other respondents on whose plea the High Court had passed its order.

ANI