CBI submits Nandigram status report to court

Dec 17, 2007, 13:06 GMT

Kolkata, Dec 17 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Monday submitted a status report to Calcutta High Court on the progress of its investigation into the March 14 police firing in Nandigram and asked the court for more time to complete the probe. The court gave it time till Feb 15.

'The CBI Monday requested the division bench of Justices S.S. Nijjar and Pinaki Chandra Ghosh for extension of time to complete the probe. The court has sanctioned their appeal and given a deadline till Feb 15 for preparing the full report,' lawyer Kalyan Bandhopadhyay said.

Bandopadhyay had filed a public suit on the case demanding CBI investigation into the police firing in Nandigram, located 150 km from here in East Midnapore district where villagers had revolted against proposed land acquisition for a special economic zone (SEZ) by the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led government, triggering unabated violence since January this year.

On Nov 16, the Calcutta High Court described the March 14 police firing in which 14 people were killed and over 100 injured as 'unconstitutional and not justifiable' and directed the CBI to restart investigations and submit a report within one month.

Following the March 14 incident, the high court chief justice had suo motu initiated a case and asked the CBI to probe the police firing and violence.

The CBI has so far interrogated four police personnel who were present during the incident and also managed to get details of telephonic conversations between police officers at the time.

Meanwhile, the CBI also requested the court for more time to submit a report on the mysterious death of Muslim youth Rizwanur Rahman. Justice Soumitra Pal Monday extended the time till Jan 8.

Rizwanur, a 30-year-old graphics designer, was found dead beside a railway track here with his head smashed on Sep 21, barely a month after marrying Priyanka Todi, daughter of industrialist Ashok Todi.

© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service