People's tribunal calls Nandigram firing pre-planned and state-spons

Kolkata, Aug 9 (UNI) The People's Tribunal on Nandigram firing of March 14 has placed its report before West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi, stating it to be ''pre-planned and state-sponsored massacre'', carried out 'to teach a lesson' to the people opposing the SEZ project on their land.

Former Justice S K Basu talking to the media today said, '' It has recommended continuation of the CBI investigation, initiated by the Calcutta High Court on March 15, but wound up in just one week.

Among other aspects it wants the CBI to inquire into the specific roles played by members of the local and state administration in the killings of the innocent people and atrocities on women. '' The Tribunal said, '' On March 14 there were a disturbingly large number of incidents of sexual violence by both police and armed ruling party cadres against women, many of them carried out in the most cruel, degrading and inhuman manner.'' The tribunal also called upon the West Bengal government to make a public declaration that the report would not be used against the local people for the so called restoration of law and order in the Nandigram area, the tribunal observed.

UNI