Calcutta, July 2: Calcutta High Court today asked state advocate-general Balai Ray to explain why the CBI should not be asked to continue its probe into the Nandigram police firing on March 14.

Ray is likely to submit a reply tomorrow. The government does not want the CBI to investigate the incident.

Ray today tried to defend the police firing that claimed 14 lives.

The advocate-general said that from January 3 to March 14, a series of untoward incidents had taken place in Nandigram.

“Villagers had dug up the main roads and damaged the bridges. At least 44 complaints were lodged with the Nandigram police. But the law-enforcing agency was not allowed to enter the villages.”

He said terror reigned in the interiors of Nandigram. “At this juncture, it was the duty of the state to restore normality in the area. So the government, on March 12, decided to send a police force to the villages of Nandigram to restore peace and the rule of law.”

The advocate-general said that on March 14, 600 policemen had entered Nandigram. They had opened fire only after some villagers attacked them.

Ray will continue his submission tomorrow.

After today’s hearing, it is clear that the division bench of Chief Justice S.S. Nijjar and Justice P.K. Ghosh wants the opinion of the counsel involved in the case on whether the high court has the powers to ask the CBI to continue the probe when the matter is pending before a larger bench of the Supreme Court.

Earlier, while making submissions on behalf of petitioners, their lawyers had demanded that the court ask the CBI to continue its probe into the firing. They also said the agency’s preliminary report should be made public.