Aug. 19: Around 200 Trinamul workers in Nandigram planning to request the law department next week to drop their names from land war-related cases suffered a setback after a Nadia court yesterday rejected a similar plea by four party leaders.

The additional district and sessions judge of Ranaghat struck down a petition by the assistant public prosecutor, who appealed that a murder charge against Trinamul general secretary Sasanka Biswas and three party activists be dropped.

The four had been accused of murdering a CPM leader in 2005.

The court said there was “sufficient merit” in the complaint against them.

East Midnapore public prosecutor Subodh Maity said the Nadia court’s decision had worried the party workers in Nandigram.

“We will examine all the (land war-related) cases and proceed with caution now,” he said.

One of the accused, Abu Taher, said Mamata Banerjee had “promised” that “false cases” against those involved in the anti-land acquisition movement would be dropped.