: In a significant development, a city court on Saturday issued an arrest warrant to the top leadership of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) including party president Bimal Gurung in connection with the murder of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League ( ABGL) president Madan Tamang.
The warrant was issued on the basis of the final supplementary charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) where it has brought charges against 23 persons associated with the GJM.
Judge of city sessions court Gopal Chandra Karmakar issued arrest warrants against Mr Gurung and 22 others and directed the CBI to execute the order by June 26.
“Warrants of arrest have been issued against all the 23 persons. It will be executed through SP of the CBI,” the counsel of the CBI said.
Besides Mr Gurung, who is the chief executive of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, the CBI has brought charges against GJM MLAs from the hills, Roshan Giri and Harka Bahadur Chettri.
The charge sheet also named Gurung’s wife Asha Gurung, who heads the GJM’s women’s wing as well as other party leaders Pradip Pradhan and Benoy Tamnang.
Tamang was killed on May 21 in 2010 in broad daylight at Darjeeling Chowrasta. Initially probed by the State police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the case was handed over to the CBI.
GJM counsel Sayan De said they would be moving a Higher Court in appeal.
“This should have been done much earlier. We hope all the accused will be arrested immediately,” ABGL general secretary Pratap Khati told The Hindu .
CBI asked to execute the order by June 26
