In continued violence for the third consecutive day, CPM-backed anti-land acquisition activists and Farmland Eviction Resistance Committee (FERC) members clashed with firearms and bombs at Khejuri in Nandigram for more than two hours on Sunday, official reports said.

More than 25 rounds were fired and bombs were hurled from a brick kiln at Khejuri, from where the CBI officials had earlier arrested ten supporters of the CPM along with firearms following the March 14 police carnage. Police officials confirmed that shots were fired and bombs were thrown allegedly by CPM cadres from Janani brick kiln, from where the CBI made the arrest. None was injured or killed. FERC members said a large number of bombs were dropped through the night by outsiders brought in by CPM.

IISCO land row
The land acquisition agitation of Nandigram has begun spreading its dark shadow over other parts of West Bengal when villagers fought a pitched battle with police at Purushottampur in Asansol under Burdwan district on Sunday.

The incident left six persons including the deputy magistrate of Asansol subdivision injured.

The villagers who were protesting against the proposed Rs 10,000 crore expansion of the Indian Iron & Steel Company for the last two days, charged at the police on Sunday when the district administration deployed a massive force to acquire land. As soon as the land filling work began, hundreds of villagers whose land would be taken away due to the project, tried to stop the bulldozers, demanding permanent employment in the company.

Deputy magistrate Soumya Bhattacharya, who led a posse of police, tried to convince the villagers about the need for acquisition of land. But the moment he declined to guarantee jobs for the displaced villagers, the latter turned furious and began pelting stones at the police.

After Bhattacharya was hit by a brick, police resorted to caning to break the demonstration. Five villagers were injured, and more than 150 were detained.