Singur row: Judge recuses himself from case

The Calcutta High Court judge hearing the Tata Motors' challenge of the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act today recused himself from the case.

Justice Saumitra Pal recused from the case on personal grounds. The judge said he personally knows one of the persons whose names appeared in the files relating to the case.

The case has now been sent back to Chief Justice JN Patel who would reassign the matter to another judge of the high court.

With the Supreme Court on June 29 granting interim stay on distribution of the 540 acres, taken back from TML, to the farmers till disposal of the case before the high court, this development is likely to cause a delay.

The Calcutta High Court has been hearing the matter on a daily basis since the first week of July.