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HC lets Bengal CID probe carnage, but sets condition
The Calcutta High Court has let the West Bengal Police's criminal investigation department probe the Netai massacre, making it clear that if findings prove to be unsatisfactory, the CBI will be roped in.
The Calcutta High Court has let the West Bengal Police's criminal investigation department probe the Netai massacre, making it clear that if findings prove to be unsatisfactory, the CBI will be roped in.
In its interim ruling on a PIL on the massacre, a division bench of the high court, comprising Justice JN Patel and Justice AK Roy, asked the CID on Wednesday to file its report on February 4.
On January 7, inmates of an armed CPI-M camp at Netai in West Midnapore district of West Bengal opened fire on villagers on a trivial issue, killing seven persons on the spot and injuring 29. Two of the injured later died at a Kolkata hospital.
The public interest litigation was filed by the High Court Bar Association on January 15.
Saying "The state has failed to protect the right to life and liberty of the villagers... Therefore, the victims deserve to be compensated", the judges fixed Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased, Rs 1 lakh for each critically injured and Rs 50,000 for the injured. The money will have to be paid in seven days.
It court also asked the Centre-state joint forces to demolish all the armed camps in the three Maoist-dominated districts of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura.
Although the state affidavit denied the existence of any armed camp, West Midnapore superintendent of police Manoj Verma's report on January 11 mentioned the existence of armed criminals at Netai.
