KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Monday sought response from the State and Central governments in connection to appeals by victims of next-of-kin of Sitalkuchi firing incident seeking compensation.
A Division Bench directed the State government as well as the Union of India to file their affidavits-in-opposition within a period of four weeks. Any reply by the petitioners were ordered to be filed within 1 week thereafter. The next hearing is on June 13. On April 10 last year, CISF personnel fired several rounds near booth 126 of Jorpatki in Sitalkuchi where four persons died.While the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) took over the case on April 16, the Election Commission has already given a clean chit to the CISF for open fire in Sitalkuchi Assembly constituency in Cooch Behar.