Men in uniform fired on us: Nandigram witness

A witness of the police firing in Nandigram on March 14 has told the Central Bureau of Investigation that about 200 people in police uniform and wearing slippers had opened fire and burst teargas shells on demonstrators at Bhangaberra on that day.

Palash Giri of Dakhinkhali village, who lost his brother Proloy in the firing, told CBI officials at the Central Reserve Police Force camp at Nandigram College that both of them had participated in the peace rally of the anti-land acquisition Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee.

The men in police clothes had ordered the demonstrators to go back but they had refused saying they would do so only after an assurance from Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee that the Special Economic Zone and chemical hub would not be set up at Nandigram, he said.

At this the men in police clothes had opened fire and Palash, who was at the rear of the procession heard that his brother, who was at the front, had been shot at. As he rushed to the spot, he found his brother lying on the ground with bullet injury but could not rescue him as tear gas shells went off around him.

Proloy's family neither found him in the area's hospitals nor was his body ever returned, Palash told newsmen after speaking to the CBI on Tuesday.

He said a team of the central investigating agency had gone to his home and met his wife and mother on Monday. His neighbours loyal to CPI-M had, however, said that the youth had not returned since the day.

Two others -- Abhijit Maity and Suresh Midda of Jalpai village -- too met the CBI officials and deposited relevant papers in support of their complaints against police action on that day.

While Maity, a tailor who had taken part in the procession, was hit in his right hand by a teargas shell, Midda was hit in his right foot.

Pabitra Maity, father of 14-year-old Biswajit, who was killed at Bhangabera by a bullet fired from Khejuri -- the CPI-M stronghold -- on November seven, the first time violence was reported at Nandigram, also met the CBI investigators. The boy's body was later found in the hospital.

Earlier in the day four CBI teams comprising two members each fanned out in Nandigram to investigate the March 14 police firing as per the Calcutta High Court.

Media persons found three supporters of the BUPC, whose family members were allegedly injured in the November 8 violence at Maheshpur in Nandigram, waiting for a CBI hearing.

Arati Pal of Sonachura said her husband Jadav had hit by a bullet on his leg on the day. He along with three others was first admitted to a hospital at Kamardha at Khejuri by Sukur Ali and Tapan Ghosh, wanted by the CBI in connection with the Choto Angaria case. Ali and Ghosh were intercepted by the Trinamool Congress and the Congress supporters, handed over to the police at Egra and arrested, she said.

Kakoli Muniyan of Gangrachar village complained that her mother-in-law Kalpana was hit by bullets in the hand, head and stomach on that day. Swapan Khatua of the same village said his uncle Tapas was hit in his hips by a bullet. All the three are undergoing treatment at the state-run SSKM Hospital in Kolkata.