West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Wednesday decorated as many as 156 state Government police officers for their meritorious service. Among those who received the honour at a gala ceremony — titled ‘West Bengal Police Investiture Ceremony-2008’ — at Science City auditorium, was one who was involved in the police firing that killed 14 villagers at Nandigram on March 14, 2007.

The incident has been a blot on the state’s police records as well as in terms of human rights violations. Successive official reports indicated that the officer — Satyajit Bandopadhyay — then an additional superintendent of Police (Rural), Howrah, had led a police force that had opened fire on a mob of villagers who protested the Government’s proposed land acquisition in Nandigram.

The Calcutta High Court had described the firing of March 14 in Nandigram as “unconstitutional and illegal”. The CBI is investigating the case.

Bandopadhyay was sent by the state Government to Nandigram in East Midnapore along with others. He was posted on that fateful day with a huge force near Tekhali Bazar outpost and had led the charge against the villagers.

Later, he was promoted and now is the Superintendent of Police, Malda.

“He is a murderer. He is one of the officers who had led the police charge against innocent villagers. Later, the victim’s family members lodged a complaint with the Calcutta High Court where his name figured in police brutality. The Chief Minister is giving him a medal for killing innocent villagers,” said Sisir Adhikary, a leader of East Midnapore who had been at the helm of Nandigram protests.

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