HC summons CPI(M) leaders for disparaging remarks

Kolkata, Jul 11 (UNI) Dissatisfied with the reply on Nandigram court ruling before the bench, Kolkata High Court today summoned three CPI(M) state leaders, after four weeks of their disparaging remark on the ruling.

A two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Surender Singh Nijjar, issued contempt ruling against CPI(M) leaders Shyamal Chakraborty, Biman Bose and Binoy Konar as the court was unhappy with the affidavit that they had been asked to submit before the bench.

The Court issued the ruling on four petitions, filed by Kolkata High Court Bar Association and three others challenging the three leaders' remark at a meeting on November 17 last at Esplanade.

They had criticized the High Court ruling on Nandigram incident, saying that the order was '' not rational''.

They had also commented that the government should enhance the salary of the judges for their duty to protect the democracy in the country and there should be no role of the people in the democracy as the judgement had sent the message that the people has no role in democracy and it is the judges who are only the safeguards of democracy.

Advocate Vikas Ranjan Bhattacharya appeared for the three leaders in the case while Saktinath Mukherjee argued for Kolkata High court Bar Association.

Nandigram, a village on the bank of the Haldi river in East Midnapore district, witnessed a series of violent incidents since January 2006 when locals protested against the governments move to set up SEZ there on agricultural land measuring nearly 1400 acres.

At least 14 people were killed and scores sustained bullet injuries on March 14 when police opened fire to break resistence put up by the villagers to stop local political leaders and government officials from entering the village.

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