INQUIRY

Dinhata firing : Judicial inquiry to start from first week of June

 

COOCH BEHAR, May 28: The one-man judicial inquiry commission that was constituted by the state government to conduct a probe into the 5 February police firing occurred at Dinhata is expected to start functioning from the first week of June. The court and the office of the inquiry commission headed by an ex-judge of Calcutta High Court, Mr Justice Narayan Chandra Sil are being readied at the annexe building of the Circuit House in Cooch Behar.

 

The Justice Narayan Chandra Sil Commission was constituted after the police firing that took place on 5 February of this year at Dinhata. Five Forward Bloc supporters were killed in the firing and an NVF constable was also killed on that day. Mr Justice Sil already visited the firing spot at Dinhata for 'spot verification' and talked with district officials in Cooch Behar on 17-18 April. At that time he had said that an office of the commission would be set up in Cooch Behar to conduct the probe because there is no adequate infrastructure in Dinhata. This office is necessary here because all the witnesses are local residents, he had said.

 

Today, the district magistrate of Cooch Behar Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha said an office of the commissioner's court and an office of the secretary of the commission are being set up at the annexe building of the Circuit House. Six retired persons were selected to man the commission's office and court. When asked the DM hoped that the court might start functioning from the first week of June. Prior to that a notification will also be released by the commission, he said.

 

It is expected that witnesses will be examined at the court of the commission to find out the truth behind the 5 February violence and the actual reasons that prompted the police to open fire on the Forward Bloc supporters who assembled at Dinhata court premises on that day to join a demonstration. []

 

PHOTO : The Cooch Behar Circuit House being readied to conduct judicial inquiry into the police firing that occurred at Dinhata on 5 February.

 

Trinamul's puja at Balaram Mandir

 

COOCH BEHAR, May 28: Hundreds of Trinamul Congress supporters gathered at the age-old Balaram Mandir of Bhuchungmari in Tufanganj today to offer special puja to Lord Balaram following the victory of Trinamul Congress candidates in the just concluded panchayat elections.

 

Cooch Behar district Trinamul Congress president Mr Rabindra Nath Ghosh said hundreds of men and women alongwith the just elected four Panchayat Samiti members and eleven Gram Panchayat members gathered at the temple premises and offered puja this afternoon. Kirtan recital and special Bhog were arranged on the occasion. After the puja prasad was distributed among the devotees.

 

Lord Balaram is considered as the guardian deity to the residents of Tufanganj as Lord Madan Mohan in Cooch Behar. The temple was constructed about 250 years ago, said 103-year-old Jaimanto Sarkar who also attended the puja. Mr Sarkar is a committed Congress supporter but this time he reportedly voted in favour of Trinamul Congress candidates. It may be mentioned here that Trinamul Congress defeated the CPI-M candidates in Tufanganj-I and Tufanganj-II Panchayat Samitis and also won in several Gram Panchayat seats in Tufanganj. []