Prominent Morcha youth leaders on CBI net

Five arrested, Nickol Tamang yet untraceable

Vivviews Report

Darjeeling Feb 15: Top GJM leaders those who occupy vital positions in the party’s frontal organization were arrested by the central bureau of investigation (CBI) this morning from a taxi stand near Darjeeling Railway station in connection with the murder case of Madan Tamang, the AIGL president triggering a fresh jolt to the party that has had to put its head down after the formation of the Lepcha Development council.

Prominent youth leaders Alok Kanta Mani Thulung, Keshav Raj Pokhrel (general secretary of the youth wing) and Kismet Chettri along with Puran Thami ex-general secretary of the GJM’s Darjeeling branch committee were arrested around 5 a.m. this morning and interrogated separately at the CBI camp office near D.B.Giri Road. The five accused had been absconding since a long time. The five arrested were later produced in the Darjeeling court around 11 a.m. CBI sources said that they are anticipating remand.

The arrest comes in straight after Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee met Bharati Tamang, widow of Madan Tamang. The chief minister had assured all help to Bharati. Madan Tamang was brutally murdered on May 21, 2010 during broad daylight allegedly by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM). Bharati had on December 4, 2012 filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court praying investigation from the beginning by a special investigation team. The writ petition was admitted by the Supreme Court on December 3. The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Union government, state government, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and 12 other respondents within 4 weeks on the matter.

Earlier in the case six arrested person had been released on bail by Calcutta High court. One of the accused released on bail is a GTA councilor Dipen Malay and the other five were Sudesh Rai, Puran Rai, Tilak Rai and Sunil Rai. The prime accused Nickol Tamang however had fled from the CID custody in pintail village near Siliguri on August 22, 2010. Nickol remains untraced.

“The court disagreed CBI’s plea for a remand as the case has already been investigated and the charge sheet filed. The arrested person’s names were mentioned in the charge sheet. They have been sent to judicial custody till February 28, the day the next hearing will be held,” said Pankaj Prasad, Additional Public Prosecutor at Darjeeling court.

The arrest of the top youth leaders however observers said could well blush a fresh disownment to the GJM leader Bimal Gurung who blinks to threaten resignation from the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and start a fresh militant stir for separate state. “Gurung’s threat may have come after the chief minister sidelined the GJM’s demand to form the Lepcha Development Council (LDC) under the GTA rather than backward classes department but the fresh jolt the party has got will definitely anger him. Darjeeling could now boil into a fresh unrest,” said an observer.