The death of a Gorkha National Liberation Front supporter in Sonada area of the hills triggered fresh tensions in Darjeeling on July 8, 2017.
The GNLF supporter Tashi Bhutia died of bullet injuries late on July 7, 2017.
“He received bullet injuries on his forehead. He had come out in the night to get medicines for his brothers who have gastric problems. On the way he met a convoy of security forces and he was shot at point-blank range,” Neeraj Zimba the spokesperson of GNLF said.
The State government has denied any incident of police firing in the hills. “Police is showing utmost restraint in the hills, even when they are being attacked. There is no basis to the claims that police shot and killed a person who was out taking medicines,” State’s Tourism Minister Gautam Deb said.
With the daybreak, GNLF and Gorkhaland supporters laid siege to the Sonada Police station. Clashes erupted between the police and the demonstrators. Police resorted to firing of tear gas shells to control the situation. A police outpost was also set on fire. The situation remained tense in the area.
On June 17, 2017, three Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supporters were killed allegedly in police firing during the pro-Gorkhaland rallies. The Darjeeling hills in the northern most part of north Bengal has been on the boil since the first week of June 2017 over the demand of separate State. There is also a near total shutdown in the hills since June 15, 2017.
