The death toll in Wednesday’s police firing at Nandigram would go up if a proper investigation is conducted into the cases of missing locals, social activist Medha Patkar said today, on her return from a fact-finding mission to affected villages.Officials put the death toll at 14, but Patkar, who met Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi today, dismissed the figures. She demanded a judicial inquiry led by a sitting Supreme Court judge, and also sought an official notification on withdrawal of the SEZ project in Nandigram.Patkar gave reports on the findings of National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements (NAPM) to Governor Gandhi. NAPM comprises social activists from across the country. “We were told by villagers that many locals cannot be traced since Wednesday’s tragedy,” Patkar said. “The villagers fear these missing persons were killed and their bodies were later removed. We want a detailed investigation into all missing cases.” “The locals told us they suspect that the bodies have been buried in trenches near Bhangabera canal — these should be immediately dug up,” she added.
