Lalgarh violence: West Bengal Govt. asked to clarify its stand

Kolkata, Jan 11 (ANI): The Kolkata High Court, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) into the January 7 violence case in Lalgarh's Netai village, on Tuesday asked the West Bengal Government to file an affidavit by Friday on whether or not there should be a Central Bureau if Investigation (CBI) inquiry into these killings.

The court has asked the State Home Secretary to specify the government's stand on the joint operation of Central and state forces against Maoist camps in Lalgarh that suspected armed CPI-M cadres killed seven villagers at Netai in Lalgarh last Friday.

The government was on Monday asked to produce case diary of the incident in the court.

The Kolkata Bar Association filed a PIL in the court on Monday demanding a CBI inquiry into incident.

The PIL filed in the court also demands Rs. 25 lakh as compensation to the families of those killed and Rs. 10 lakh to those, who suffered bullet injuries.

Six villagers, including a woman were killed and over 20 injured in firing by suspected armed CPI-M cadres in Lalgarh in West Bengal's West Midnapore District on Friday.

The villagers, who had gathered to protest against demands made by Marxist armed cadre that they volunteer for night patrols and arms training, were fired at from a house at Netai village in Belatikri gram panchayat in Lalgarh police station area. (ANI)