Taking up a public interest litigation seeking CBI probe into the violence and death during CPI(M) recapture of Nandigram in November, the Calcutta High Court on Friday  directed the West Bengal Government to file an affidavit giving its views on the issue within eight weeks.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice S S Nijjar and Justice P C Ghosh adjourned the prayer for ten weeks after hearing both the state government and petitioner Sabyasachi Ray Choudhary.

Advocate General Balai Ray submitted that the PIL was not maintainable as already 260 cases had been registered with regard to the violence at Nandigram [Images] police station. Besides, after November 11, there had been no allegation of any law and order problem in Nandigram.

Further, in a clash between two groups of hooligans it was a state's duty to investigate the matter and bring the culprits to book and CBI had no role to play, he argued.

For the petitioner, Advocate Kalyan Banerjee contested that the police had been withdrawn to enable the CPIM cadres to enter Nandigram and recapture it. At least five persons were killed and several others were missing and injured in the violence.

Besides, thousands of villagers were displaced from their homes during the violence for several days, Banerjee claimed. He submitted that only an investigation by a Central agency would be appropriate in the matter as the state police had allegedly colluded with attackers.

The court had earlier asked CBI to investigate the police firing in Nandigram in which 14 persons were killed on March 14, 2006. The investigation is currently on. PTI