DARJEELING Feb 21: Even after the Darjeeling Chief Judicial Magistrate court rejected a CBI request to place the five arrested in the Madan Tamang murder in custody, the investigative bureau moved a fresh appeal for a three-day remand for the accused.
On May 21, 2010, Tamang, a Gorkha leader, was brutally hacked to death in broad daylight by a mob. The incident took place at the Clubside in the heart of Darjeeling while the victim was overseeing preparations for an All-India Gorkha League (AIGL) meeting.
On February 15, CBI arrested five Gorkha Janmukti Morch (GJM) front rung leaders from a taxi stand in front of the Darjeeling railway station.
Former vice chairman of Darjeeling Municipality and prominent Morcha leader Dinesh Gurung was included in the list of culprits. Alok Kanta Mani Thulung president of the Gorkha Janmukti Yuva Morcha, Puram Thami, general secretary of the GJM Darjeeling subdivisional committee, Kismet Chettri, president of the Gorkha Janmukti Vidhyarthi Morcha (GJM’s student wing) and Keshav Raj Pokhrel, general secretary of the GJVM, were also included in the list.
The five were produced at the CJM court in Darjeeling, where the CBI appealed for the remand that was denied. The defence argued that as investigations are over and a charge sheet filed, a remand was redundant. The five were sent to judicial custody.
On February 18, the CBI put in a fresh prayer for a threeday remand. On Wednesday the CJM court heard both sides on this matter and decided to give the order on February 25, 2013. The Assistant Public Prosecutor argued that the five have been arrested for the first time since the murder and have not been interrogated.
The defence said that since the CJM court had already denied remand on February 15 and ordered Judicial Custody, the order could not be recalled by the same court.
The five could not be produced at court on Wednesday since they were all admitted to the Darjeeling Sadar Hospital. On February 15, after being taken to the Darjeeling Correctional Home, Dinesh Gurung had been shifted to the Darjeeling Sadar Hospital. “He has had a liver transplant and requires special medical attention” stated Taranga Pundit, Defence lawyer.
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