Tough cases slapped on Gurung

GJM president Bimal Gurung has been booked under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Arms Act in connection with the grenade blast at the Kalimpong police station and an explosion in Darjeeling town.

Cases have also been slapped against four others, including Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) youth wing president Prakash Gurung and senior GJM functionary Praveen Subbah.

A powerful remote-controlled improvised explosive device (blast on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday near the old supermarket motor stand had left deep craters on the road and cast iron pellet splinters drilled through the steel shutters of more than 20 shops and shattered window panes. In less than 24 hours after the blast in the heart of Darjeeling town, unidentified people threw grenades at Kalimpong police station late on Saturday, killing a civic police volunteer and injuring two policemen.

In an incident of arson soon after the grenade attack, unidentified miscreants set Kalimpong forest rest house, controlled by the GTA, on fire.
Reports of blasts were received from Fade village near Badamtam within the Runglee Rungliot police station limits, Darjeeling Superintendent of Police Akhilesh Chaturvedi told DH over phone.

“A special CID team and forensic experts have started probe into the Darjeeling town blast as well as the attack on the police station. Investigations are on,” said ADG (law and order), Anuj Sharma.

ADG (North Bengal) S N Gupta said the police were also investigating the presence of gelatin sticks and powder close to the blast site in Darjeeling town. The GJM leadership has, however, distanced itself from the two incidents.

In a statement, Bimal Gurung said anti-Gorkhaland forces were at work in maligning their campaign and that there should be an impartial probe into the incidents.
GJM central committee member Binay Tamang told DH that they were even open to an NIA probe. “Vested quarters are continuously trying to malign our movement for Gorkhaland and to tarnish the image of GJM leaders.