Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court judge, Justice Soumitra Pal refused to hear plea of the Tata Motors' challenge on the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act any further on Tuesday citing personal reasons.
The case and the matter would be heard by another judge.
Justice Pal told the court, "while going through the papers, he came across some names that he personally knows and now he considers that it will be unfair on him to hear the plea anymore."
The case was then sent back to Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court J N Patel, who has now assigned the case to Justice Indra Prasanna Mukherjee who would hear the matter afresh. The counsels from both the sides met Justice Mukherjee, who will again meet them today and the hearing will start tomorrow.
Speaking to Gulf News, Tata Motors counsel Samaraditya Pal said, "though personally I don't have any views on the matter, but I am not sure as to how the client will view it." Though there was no comment from the government counsel Kalyan Banerjee, but it seemed that all have been taken aback by the suddenness of the decision.
Though such refusal by Judges is nothing new considering the dignity and the responsibility of their positions. But since this is a high profile case, rumor mills as to the real reasons for the judge's refusal is doing rounds.
"Considering that the political, social and economical implications of this case is very high that any judge would think twice before pronouncing the judgment," said a senior advocate unwilling to be named. Whoever loses this case in all probability will move to the Supreme Court. But even then this judgment will be the corner stone for further directives from the highest court; hence all judges will be cautious before pronouncing a word.
Yesterday's development has certainly made two things sure. The Supreme Court's wish that The Calcutta High Court gives its judgment within a month will never come true and that the 2855 farmers of Singur that have submitted their applications for reclaiming their land, will have to wait even further before this long drawn legal battle get over.
