WB appeal on Nandigram: SC to hear on Dec 13

New Delhi, Dec 7: The Supreme Court today fixed December 13 for hearing the appeal of the West Bengal government, challenging Kolkata High court order, calling police firing in Nandigram unconstitutional coupled with the directions to pay Rs five lakh each to the families of those killed in the police firing.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice R V Raveendran fixed the date after the matter was mentioned before the apex court by counsel for the petitioner state seeking urgent hearing.

West Bengal government has not challenged part of the High court judgment ordering a CBI inquiry in the Nandigram killings.

According to the petitioner Kolkata High court judgment declaring police firing unconstitutional, has foreclosed CBI inquiry as the investigating agency cannot go beyond High court.

The Left Front government has defended the police action in Nandigram contending that police was forced to open fire on the protesting landowners when all other methods failed to control the situation. Farmers in Nandigram are opposing forcible acquisition of their agricultural land for setting up of SEZ by the Salim group which was given one thousand acre of land for the purpose.

The state government has contended that summary directions issued by the High Court without any investigation or inquiry were unjustified and the order of the Kolkata High court dated November 16, 2007 is liable to be set aside.

The CPM, heading the Left Front government in West Bengal, has been under heavy fire from all political parties including its Left Front partners for the happenings in Nandigram.

CPM goons allegdly evicted residents of several villages by force and there was large scale killing and rape of women.

UNI