No bodies in graves found near Nandigram

Nearly a fortnight after human remains were found in graves in Khejuri-Talatula near Nandigram, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Thursday found seven more graves in the CPI(M) stronghold in Khejuri. But when the officers of the paramilitary force went to the area, the bodies were missing.

Assistant Commandant, CRPF, Arindam Mukhopadhyay, who visited the graves at Sherkhanchowk in Khejuri on Friday later posted a team of CRPF personnel there to question local people about the identity of the missing bodies. “This was done after the local villagers informed us about these graves,” he said.

Local Trinamool Congress MLA Subhendu Adhikari claimed CPI(M)-backed criminals killed these men when they holding a peace rally in the area on November 10. “After killing them, they dragged the bodies towards Khejuri and buried them there,” he said. Altogether five bodies were found on that day in Nandigram.

Locals alleged the bodies were later removed after the CRPF started detecting graves in different parts of Nandigram. “They hurriedly removed the bodies,” one of them said.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee had claimed on Thursday that the police carried five bodies from Khejuri to Kolkata for post-mortem examinations the previous night. “We want a full-fledged investigation about how these bodies went missing,” Adhikari said.

The MLA said 300 people were missing after the firing in Nandigram on November 10 and that only 250 had come back home till now. “Where are the 50 others?” he asked.