CBI today submitted in the Supreme Court its report on the investigation into Nandigram police firing by West Bengal police in which 14 persons were killed on March 14, 2007, during a protest acquisition of their land for industrial project.
A bench of justices R.V. Raveendran and A.K. Patnaik, while taking on record the report, however, rejected the plea of counsel and Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Bandopadhyay for adjournment of the case till assembly elections were over in the state.
“This case has nothing to do with the elections or the fight between CPI-M and Trinamul,” the bench said while posting the matter for further hearing till March 31.
Mr. Bandhopadhyay sought adjournment of the case on the ground that elections would take place in the state between April and May.
Senior counsel K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the state government, alleged the entire case had been put up by the Trinamool Congress to settle political scores..
The bench had last month asked CBI to place its investigation report into the 2007 firing incident before the apex court to decide on the question of initiating criminal proceedings against the erring police officials in the case.
The Bench had on December 13, 2007, restrained CBI from initiating further proceedings in the case on the ground that a Constitution Bench was examining whether the apex court and High Courts have the jurisdiction to order CBI probe or not.
