Part of police force to be withdrawn from Nandigram

Kolkata, Mar 19 (UNI) Initiating the process to shoot down tension in Nandigram, the West Bengal Government today announced to withdraw a police camp from the area and ordered an executive inquiry into the March 14 police firing.

'' The Government has decided to call back police from one of the two camps in Nandigram and conduct an executive inquiry into the police firing by a Divisional Commissioner,'' Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray told reporters.

The Government decision came two days after the ruling Left Front announced, under the pressure of smaller partners, that police would be pulled out in phases and no land would be acquired for industry in the strife-torn area.

The camps were set up after police forced their way into the area following a bloody clash with the members of 'Bhoomi Uchched Protirodh Committee', in which at least 14 people were killed and 71 injured in police firing.

The Home Secretary said the inquiry, to run simultanously with the CBI probe, would start in a day or two.

In reply to a question on the allegation that armed CPI(M) cadres had joined police in the attack on villagers, he said the Government would take action if such an event came to light during investigation.

'' The police officials, who were present, told us that nobody else was with the force. But if anything to the contrary is proved, suitable measures will be taken,'' he iterated.

Besides looking into other aspects, the probe would ascertain whether the firing was commensurate with extent of violence by the mob that allegedly attacked police.

Mr Ray said the Government was ready to think about compensation to the victims if the inquiry revealed that innocent people were gunned down.

UNI