The apex court had on December 13, 2007, restrained the CBI from initiating criminal proceedings in the court against police officers for the Nandigram firing till its further order.
The CBI today moved the Supreme Court seeking its direction for initiating criminal proceedings in the Nandigram firing incident in West Bengal which 14 persons were killed in March 2007.
The agency mentioned an application before a bench of justices RV Raveendran and HL Gokhale that the apex court's December 13, 2007, order restraining it from initiating criminal proceedings should be lifted.
Additional solicitor general Harin Raval, appearing for the CBI, referred to the apex court's recent verdict holding that the Supreme Court and high courts are empowered to order the CBI inquiry and sought the court's permission to go-ahead in the case.
The bench posted for hearing the application of the CBI after six weeks.
Following the firing on March 14, 2007, the Calcutta high court had asked the CBI to inquire as to what prompted the police to open fire when thousands of villagers had gathered to protest against attempts by the police to enter Nandigram.
The report was filed by the agency before the high court on February 15, 2008.
The state government had challenged the high court order indicting it for "unjustified" firing on innocent people in Nandigram and issuing a direction for paying a uniform compensation of Rs5 lakh to each of the 14 persons killed and Rs2 lakh and Rs1 lakh to those raped and injured.
The apex court had on December 13, 2007, restrained the CBI from initiating criminal proceedings in the court against police officers for the Nandigram firing till its further order.
While staying the high court order, the apex court had also issued notices to rights group Association for Protection for Democratic Rights and other parties on whose plea the high court had passed the order.
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