A court in Darjeeling has issued a proclamation order against Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) president Bimal Gurung and five other leaders in connection with the violence in the Darjeeling hills in June.
The order was issued by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Darjeeling, on the basis of a prayer made by the Criminal Investigation Department of the West Bengal police.
The six GJM leaders, including Mr. Gurung’s wife Asha Gurung and party general secretary Roshan Giri, have been named as accused in the case registered at the Darjeeling Sadar police station.
Under Proclamation and Attachment of Property of Person Absconding, Section 82 and 83 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), a court may order the attachment of any property — movable and immovable.
Earlier, the Court had issued warrants against the six GJM leaders in connection with the violence during Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s visit to the hills on June 8.
Encounter case
Meanwhile, Mr. Gurung released an audio clip on Wednesday denying his role in an encounter on October 13 in which a police officer was killed. He has accused the State government of a conspiracy to “defame” him.
The West Bengal police say Mr. Gurung was hiding in the camp on the banks of Little Rangeet river where they carried out a raid and his supporters had opened fire.
Charge against police
GJM general secretary Roshan Giri on Thursday accused the State police of vandalising his home. He told journalists that a police team broke into his house around 12:45 am and took away his computer, two printers and a suitcase containing documents. The police, however, denied any involvement in the incident.
PTI adds:
‘More police personnel posted in Darjeeling’
More than 2,000 additional state police personnel, mostly from specialised forces, have been deployed in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts, a top West Bengal police official said on Wednesday.
The officer’s comments came in the backdrop of the Union Home ministry’s statement that paramilitary forces cannot substitute state police and should be deployed only in emergencies. The police officer said on the condition of anonymity that 2,500 state police personnel were already posted in the districts which witnessed a three-and-half-month long shutdown over the demand for a Gorkhaland State.
