YouTube has provided valuable evidence in the Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League president Madan Tamang murder case. The West Bengal government is in touch with the owners and administrators of the site to know the identity of the person who filmed the May 21 incident in Darjeeling from a hotel window and posted it on the site.
Director-General of Police Bhupinder Singh told journalists that even as the Criminal Investigation Department got in touch with the YouTube authorities, they had decided to intimate Interpol to issue a red corner notice against some people allegedly involved in the incident and who might have taken shelter in neighbouring Nepal. He said that pending investigations, it could not be concluded whether the culprits were from the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
“The YouTube posting provides partial evidence and we have identified some people from the clippings which seem to have been taken from the window of a hotel which overlooks the place of occurrence. The angle of the film suggests a hotel window opposite the scene of the crime. Reports indicate that a French national filmed the incidents before and after the killing as the murder scene is missing,” Mr. Singh said. The CID plans to download the entire posting pictures and send it to the Central Forensic Research Laboratory for further scrutiny.
“We are now sending an intimation to Interpol to issue red-corner notices to find out whether some people have taken shelter in Nepal,” Mr. Singh said. Though some 12-14 people were on the spot it was still not clear whether they were from Darjeeling or outside. He said that none of them were office-bearers of the GJM. “We cannot say whether the GJM had a hand in this incident until investigations are completed.”
Madan Tamang was stabbed to death in broad daylight on May 21 in Darjeeling even as he was making preparations along with some of his men for an ABGL rally which he was to address. The police had already made three arrests. Among those arrested were some who had been wounded by shots fired by Tamang's bodyguards during the attack and were admitted to a hospital. The ABGL is opposed to the GJM.
An FIR has been filed by ABGL secretary Laxman Pradhan, who had said that this was a pre-planned murder by the supporters of the youth wing and the students' wing of the GJM. The FIR has named 13 persons, including GJM president Bimal Gurung.
Darjeeling has remained tense since the murder though the situation is easing now. Two companies of the Central Reserve Police Force and five battalions of the State Armed Police were deployed there.
