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Calcutta HC rejectsb Tatas’ plea on Singur 
* Firm to move SC * WB Government files caveat in apex court
Subhrangshu Gupta/TNS

Kolkata, June 27
The TMC-Congress government in West Bengal today filed a caveat in the Supreme Court so that any petition by Tata Motors Ltd over land at Singur was not heard ex-parte.

The development came after the Calcutta High Court refused to pass an interim order on Tata Motors’ plea to restrain the state government from distributing the land acquired there earlier to set up a company car manufacturing unit. Tata Motors is likely to file a petition at the Supreme Court tomorrow against the High Court’s rejection of its plea.

Tata Motors’ counsel Samaraditya Pal, who moved an ex-parte petition, sought stay on distribution of land alleging that while the hearing was still going in the High Court, the state government had already began the process of speedily returning lands to the farmers and it would be completed by tomorrow.

However, Justice Saumitra Pal rejected the prayer.

In his argument, Advocate General Anindya Mitra alleged that Tata Motors had been trying to blackmail the government by demanding a huge compensation for Singur.

Later, Junior Standing Counsel Pratik Banerjee told reporters that the caveat was filed at 4:15 pm to ensure that the state was heard if TML moved any petition on Singur land.