INDIA BUSINESS WORLD - JANUARY 1^st - JANUARY 15^th - 2008

CALCUTTA HIGH COURT ASKS WB GOVT TO FILE AFFIDAVIT ON NANDIGRAM

Taking up a PIL seeking CBI probe into the violence and death during CPI(M) recapture of Nandigram in November, the Calcutta High Court has directed the West Bengal Government to file an affidavit giving its views on the issue within eight weeks. A division bench comprising chief justice S S Nijjar and Justice P C Ghosh adjourned the prayer for ten weeks after hearing both the state government and petitioner Sabyasachi Ray Choudhary.

Advocate General Balai Ray submitted that the PIL was not maintainable as already 260 cases had been registered with regard to the violence at Nandigram police station. Besides, After November 11, there had been no allegation of any law and order problem in Nandigram.

Further, in a clash between two groups of hooligans it was a state's duty to investigate the matter and bring the culprits to book and CBI had no role to play, he argued.