Photo: Bindu Bala Das, whose son Joydev is missing since the police action in Nandigram, at her home. (AFP)
Sonachura, March 17: The CBI today ruled out the Bengal government%u2019s theory that police had fired in self-defence in Nandigram.
Sleuths probing the case said there had not been enough provocation to make the policemen open fire on Wednesday.
After a two-day visit to Sonachura, Adhikarypara and Tekhali, the CBI team, acting on instructions from Calcutta High Court, revealed their findings.
%u201CWe asked the police officials a few specific questions, but their answers were not satisfactory. Their statements do not corroborate the real facts,%u201D said a CBI official, who is part of the agency%u2019s 15-member team.
%u201CThe police claimed that they had no option but to shoot because the villagers allegedly started firing at them and hurling bombs indiscriminately. However, we do not believe this to be the case. Had there been heavy firing from the end of the protesters, how come not a single policeman of the huge force was injured?%u201D asked the official.
The police have said they %u201Chad a narrow escape as bullets almost grazed our body%u201D.
The CBI sleuths, however, were unwilling to accept the reason. %u201CEach and every time, they had a lucky escape? How can fortune favour a huge group of policemen to such an extent?%u201D one of them wondered.
An official statement by the police saying they had fired only 20 rounds on Wednesday also took the probe team by surprise. %u201CSo far, 14 people have died. And around 35 more have sustained bullet injuries. So how can we believe that they only fired 20 rounds? It just does not add up,%u201D an official pointed out.
The sleuths said they were focusing on three factors: whether the police operation was necessary; what drove the policemen to open fire; and why they did not leave the place when they realised the situation was turning volatile.
%u201CIt is still not clear to us why the police operation was carried out. Senior police officials told us that the protesters were not allowing the administration to enter the villages by cutting off roads, and they wanted to hold dialogues with the villagers. If this was true, then why did they gather thousands of armed policemen and create a war-like situation?%u201D asked the officer.
%u201CThey should have sent a junior-level officer instead of deploying an officer of inspector-general of police rank,%u201D he said.
The sleuths today visited the police control room at Tamluk to find out if it had a voice-recording system. %u201CWe found nothing,%u201D said an officer.
The personnel of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory led by superintendent of anti-corruption wing D.K. Thakur examined bloodstains at a field in Adhikarypara, where four persons had been killed.
%u201CWe have collected evidence and it will be sent for a forensic test. The post-mortem report of the victims will reach us soon,%u201D said B.B. Thakur, CBI joint director (east).
%u201CWe asked the police officials a few specific questions, but their answers were not satisfactory. Their statements do not corroborate the real facts,%u201D said a CBI official, who is part of the agency%u2019s 15-member team.
%u201CThe police claimed that they had no option but to shoot because the villagers allegedly started firing at them and hurling bombs indiscriminately. However, we do not believe this to be the case. Had there been heavy firing from the end of the protesters, how come not a single policeman of the huge force was injured?%u201D asked the official.
The police have said they %u201Chad a narrow escape as bullets almost grazed our body%u201D.
The CBI sleuths, however, were unwilling to accept the reason. %u201CEach and every time, they had a lucky escape? How can fortune favour a huge group of policemen to such an extent?%u201D one of them wondered.
An official statement by the police saying they had fired only 20 rounds on Wednesday also took the probe team by surprise. %u201CSo far, 14 people have died. And around 35 more have sustained bullet injuries. So how can we believe that they only fired 20 rounds? It just does not add up,%u201D an official pointed out.
RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:CBI shoots down self-defence theory
by Sudipto Nandan on Mar 18, 2007 12:55 PM Permalink
No, it is her foolish acts..that led her downfall..u can never say that Oppostion party has good sense of politics..I think laloo is better politician that pur MAIN opposition
