Case on Nandigram killing deferred almost a month

Kolkata, Mar 26: The much-awaited hearing on the Nandigram killing was deferred today for nearly a month after the state government sought two weeks' time to reply to the petitioners' affidavit.

A two-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice Surinder Singh Nijjar and Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh of Calcutta High Court, took up the petition for hearing early today.

However, Advocate General Balai Roy asked for at least two weeks' time to go through the petitioners' statements on the March 14 police firing in Nandigram which claimed 14 lives and left more than hundred injured.

The state government had, however, submitted a 406-page affidavit before the high court, justifying the firing.

In its affidavit, the government had said that the situation was 'horrible' in Nandigram since January 17.

Association for Protection of Democratic Rights(APDR) Counsel Joymalya Bagchi had also submitted an affidavit in protest against the police firing in Nandigram.

The petitioners' lawyers sought more time for going into the details of the state government's affidavit before the hearing on the CBI report on the incident filed before the court on March 23.

The court had directed the CBI to keep the evidence it collected from the village in a sealed envelope and observed that it could move a petition before the court if necessary.

Mr Bagchi said the government would file its reply on the petitioners' affidavit in two weeks and the petitioners will reply to the former's affidavit within a week.

The public interest litigation will come up for hearing after three weeks. The case on Nandigram killing was taken up by the court after the division bench, headed by the Chief Justice, took strong exception to the police firing and initiated a suo moto case ordering a CBI probe into the incident.

APDR and city-based lawyer Sabyasachi Roychoudhuri had also moved the court seeking an inquiry into the circumstances that prompted the administration to open fire on the villagers.

UNI

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