HC orders release of Singur agitators

Kolkata, Dec 7 (UNI) Forty-four of the agitators, arrested on Sunday for creating violence during fencing of the proposed site for Tata Motors' small car project, were freed by a two-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court today.

The bench comprising justice S P Sengupta and justice P K Dey granted bail to the agitators after two social activists, Gargi Sengupta and Prabir Ghosh, filed two separate applications praying for their release.

Public prosecutor Ashimesh Goswamy said the governmnet did not oppose the bail to the agitators as they did not appear to have inflicted severe injury or attempted to murder policemen.

The prosecution did not, however, detail the number of people who were arrested for agitating on the three days against fencing of 998 acres of farmlands for small car project at Singur, about 35 kms north of Kolkata.

Mr Sujato Bhadra, the member of the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights, also moved an application before the court praying release of the agitators booked on the day and spending the days behind the bar.

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