File report on Nandigram in a day: HC to WB govt

Kolkata, May 02: Calcutta High Court today directed the West Bengal government to file a report in a day stating the situation in Nandigram where fresh violence claimed two lives on Sunday.

A bench, comprising Chief Justice Surinder Singh Nijjar and Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh, expressed grave concern over the flare of fresh violence in Nandigram while the bench took up the hearing on the petition this morning.

The bench asked the state government to place the report immediately, but later deferred the time of placing the report on law and order situation in the village after Advocate General Balai Roy pleaded before the Court that he was not ready on the matter and prayed for a day to comply with the order.

The Court also read out the concluding paragraph of the CBI report in Nandigram incident on March 14 in which 14 people were killed in police firing and scores had been injured. The CBI told the Court that it was not possible for the investigating agency to reach a definite conclusion on the incedents till a detailed probe was conducted.

The Court also heard the public interest litigation on land acquisition in Singur, the proposed site for Tata Motors small car project.

The bench directed the government to file a detailed report within July 5 on land acquisition in Singur about 30 kms from here.

The issue of Nandigram came up before the Court after the Chief Justice initiated a suo moto case on Nandigram killing the day after it took place.

The court earlier directed a CBI inqiry into the incident and sought a report on what circumstances police fired on the villagers.

Last month the case of Nandigram was postponed five times when it came up for hearing as the Chief Justice was on leave.

UNI