Calcutta, March 22: Lakshman Seth today accused police of not taking any initiative to bring back CPM cadres who fled their homes in Nandigram during the 2007 land war, the comments made during his interrogation by the CID.
“The police are not helping the CPM cadres who had to flee their homes in Nandigram during the land protest,” Seth was quoted as telling the interrogators in Bhawani Bhavan.
“Seth told us that the CPM had launched a movement during the anti-land acquisition protests in Nandigram to help cadres who were driven out by Bhumi Uchchhed Pratirodh Committee activists return home. He denied that the party brought out armed processions or killed anybody,” a CID officer said.
The CPM leader also refuted charges that he was involved in the murders of six land protesters in Nandigram in November 2007. “I don’t know anything about their disappearance. Ask police officers of East Midnapore, they will be able to tell you,” the officer quoted the former Haldia strongman as saying.
CID sources said Seth claimed he was not in Nandigram on November 10, the day of the CPM’s armed recapture of the area. “I was working in Haldia on that day. This is recorded in the diary maintained by my personal bodyguard,” Seth said.
He denied the CID’s charge that he had visited the Kalagachhia party office in Khejuri on November 4 to “plot the abduction and killing of the land protesters”.
The CID officers said Seth was not speaking the truth. “The log book of Seth’s escort car shows that he went to the Kalagachhia party office on November 4,” an officer said.