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Nandigram probe cloud on cops by Monalisa Chaudhuri

The role of police in the November 2007 bloodbath in Nandigram has come under the scanner with the CID looking where the Mamata Banerjee government thinks it will find the trigger behind the firing.

The investigators are scanning police records to figure out how some officers allegedly took decisions to favour the ruling Left, even as they carry on with their probe on the role of CPM leaders like Lakshman Seth, Bijon Roy and Himanshu Das.

“We have interrogated two inspectors who were officers in charge of Nandigram (Champak Chowdhury) and Khejuri (Amit Hati) police stations in November 2007. More officers, including the then DSP, additional SP of east Midnapore, and some other IPS officers are likely to be interrogated,” said sources in the CID.

Both the officers refused to comment on the allegations.

Alleged CPM cadres had gunned down nine supporters of the Trinamul-backed Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) in Nandigram on November 10, 2007, in a bid to “recapture” the trouble-torn turf.

The CID, which took up the investigation following a high court order, had earlier submitted that it could recover only two bodies, while those of seven others were still missing.

After the March 14 police firing that killed 14 persons in the village, battle lines between CPM and BUPC supporters were drawn in the area. While the BUPC gained absolute dominance over Nandigram and the ousted CPM supporters, Khejuri became a CPM fortress.

Sources familiar with the CID investigation said they had found out that some policemen played a role in the recapture — described by CPM state secretary Biman Bose as surjyadoy (sunrise) — effort that led to the second round of bloodbath.

“The investigation till now has clearly revealed the police were acting at the behest of political leaders such as Lakshman Seth. They were not following the rulebook,” an officer said.

According to records at the east Midnapore district administration’s transport office, Seth had visited the Writers’ Buildings on November 5, a day before a sanctioned police outpost was withdrawn from Tekhali bridge at the intersection of Nandigram and Khejuri.

“Seth had held a meeting with at least two senior IPS officers at Writers’ that day. The very next day, a sanctioned outpost and a police picket at the bridge were withdrawn,” said CID sources.

It is believed that the CPM cadres had marched through the unguarded Tekhali bridge to enter Nandigram on November 10. The investigating team has also come across a general diary entry made by the then OC of Nandigram about the withdrawal of the sanctioned police outpost.

“The diary entry the OC of Nandigram made on November 6, 2007, clearly mentions that the police picket and the sanctioned outpost near the eastern slope of Tekhali bridge were withdrawn in accordance with the order of the DGP of Bengal. The instruction was communicated to the DIG of Midnapore range, N. Ramesh Babu, and the SP of East Midnapore, Satya Shankar Panda, through the IG (law and order), Raj Kanojia,” said a CID source.

Three days later, the sanctioned outpost was reinstated with eight constables and an inspector. The nine policemen, however, deserted the outpost the same night citing “security threat”.

“It is apparent that there was no immediate need to remove the outpost and the picket in the first place. Then again, when the outpost was reinstated, more policemen could have been posted at the outpost to contain the violence,” an officer said.