Tata Motors on Friday alleged the West Bengal Government “trespassed” into Singur plant site and argued that an element of “coercion” forced the auto company to move equipment out of the plant and shift proposed operation to another location outside the State.
“Abandonment” means a voluntary relinquishing of right to property without any element of “coercion”, which has not been the case in Singur, Tata Motors’ counsel, Mr Samaraditya Pal, said before the Calcutta High Court here on Friday.
According to the auto major's counsel, the acts by the State Government – of re-possessing land at Singur – tantamount to “gross acts of trespass”.
“Abandonment has to be voluntary, absolute and intentional and without coercion,” Mr Pal said quoting a judgment of the Punjab High Court.
Maintaining that the auto major was forced to relocate to Gujarat, Mr Pal said: “You need not necessarily fire a gun to create fear.”
Tata Motors has filed a writ petition in the Calcutta High Court on June 22 challenging the Constitutional validity of Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act, 2011.