INQUIRY COMMISSION

Dinhata police firing : Commission starts functioning

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 11: On 10 February last year the state government had ordered a judicial inquiry into the Dinhata police firing. After about one year, the one-man Justice Narayan C Sil Commission held its first sitting at the hearing room of the Commission in the annexe building of the Circuit House in Cooch Behar today. The Cooch Behar DM, the SP, the Dinhata SDO and some other government officials attended the sitting.

 

In the police firing five Forward Bloc supporters were killed in Dinhata on 5 February 2008. A NVF constable was also killed in the violence that erupted following the Forward Bloc's law violation programme organised on that day.

 

After today's sitting, Mr Justice Sil said the general procedure of functioning of the Commission was adopted today. "Tomorrow, the Commission will talk with Forward Bloc leader Mr Udayan Guha and considering all aspects it will finalise a date for commencement of hearing", he said.

 

According to the secretary of the Commission, Mr Bikash Chandra Basu, two government officials and 48 others including FB leaders have submitted affidavits so far. "They will be summoned to attend the hearing", he said. "This is the first time an inquiry Commission have been working and going to examine witnesses outside of Kolkata", he claimed.

 

Replying a question Mr Justice Sil said the Commission was also functioning at its Kolkata office. If required the witnesses may be examined at that office too, he said. The Commission may visit the place of occurrence at Dinhata, he added.

 

When contacted, district Forward Bloc secretary Mr Udayan Guha said no initiative was taken so far to preserve the bullet-marks of police firing on the walls of the buildings in the Dinhata SDO office premises. How the Commission would get evidences of that firing incident without those bullet-marks, he questioned. "We had collected a few spent bullets from the spot and the Commission may also examine these too", Mr Guha offered.

 

Mr Justice Sil however said that they would consider preservation of the marks of evidences (bullet marks) still existing in the walls in Dinhata.

 

The Commission has begun functioning so late and so there are reasons to suspect whether it may be able to unearth the truth, Mr Guha said. []

 

PHOTO : Justice Narayan C Sil in Cooch Behar on Sunday. - DB.