Tatas appeal assigned to new division bench

The Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court today assigned the appeal of Tata Motors challenging a trial court order upholding constitutionality of Singur Land Act to a new division bench after the state questioned whether an earlier bench had jurisdiction to hear the case.

Chief Justice JN Patel assigned the Tata Motors appeal challenging the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act, 2011, to a division bench comprising Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh and Justice Mrinal Kanti Chaudhuri.

Tata Motors had earlier moved the appeal and another application seeking extension of the stay on the single bench order before the division bench comprising Justice KJ Sengupta and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.

Tata Motors is likely to move the bench tomorrow as Justice IP Mukerji, while passing the order on September 28, gave an unconditional stay till November two.

The division bench presided by Justice Sengupta referred to the Chief Justice the appeal by Tata Motors challenging the earlier order validating the Singur Act after the state questioned whether it had jurisdiction to hear the case.

Appearing for West Bengal government's industries department, senior counsel Kalyan Banerjee told the division bench comprising Justice Sengupta and Justice Bagchi that it did not have jurisdiction to hear the case.