The division bench of Chief Justice S S Nijjar and Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh also refused to pass further direction regarding the continuation of CBI investigation. The matter comes up for hearing after three weeks. The CBI had submitted the report before the division bench on March 22.

The courtroom today was jam-packed with curious onlookers, advocates and others, eagerly awaiting to hear the CBI findings in Nandigram. CBI Joint director B B Mishra and advocate Ranjan Roy were present too. The hearing lasted for about fifty minutes. Advocate Idris Ali submitted that the bench disclose the CBI report, which was refused.

The state Advocate General, Balai Roy, submitted before the Bench that the Governor not be dragged into the legal process. He pointed out that the statement made by the Governor after the March14 incident had been attached with the order passed by the bench on March 15 by some petitioners.

Appearing for the CBI, Advocate Kalyan Banerjee submitted that the situation in Nandigram is slowly returning to normal following CBI probe in accordance with the court’s March 15 order.

Banerjee argued that the CBI be directed to carry on the investigation as a regular criminal case and the state be directed to hand over all records on the issue from January 3, 2007, from Nandigram and Khejuri police stations.

Banerjee also said that 27 people have been missing in Nandigram since March 14. The bench, in reply, asked if habeas corpus will be moved.

Refusing to pass any order, the bench observed that the CBI should come with proper application if it faced any problems. The court also asked the agency to keep all relevant material collected from Nandigram in a sealed cover.

Following the hearing, Advocate Ranjan Roy told the media that the CBI still has the liberty to go to Nandigram in accordance with the March 15 order. But the Advocate General interpreted the bench’s order today as a refusal to extend time for the CBI inquiry.

Nandigram spillover

• BHUBANESWAR: Villagers opposed to the Rs 52,000-crore POSCO steel project near Paradip have formed “self-sacrifice squads” to protect their lands from being acquired. The villagers, under the banner of ‘POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti’ (PPSS), announced this at a meeting on Sunday. “We have formed squads of 500 people who have vowed to sacrifice their lives in order to save their land”, said PPSS president Abhaya Sahu.

• MIDNAPORE: At least 45 people from Orissa were detained at Kharagpur while on their way to Nandigram to express solidarity with the locals there, officials said on Monday. They were brought to the town police station for questioning, they said. They were being questioned to know the motive of their proposed visit, the officials said, adding that the police had also contacted their counterparts in Orissa to know about the antecedents of those detained.