CID arrests three in Darjeeling cop killing case

The arrests are the first in the case, which was registered days after GJM chief Bimal Gurung’s alleged supporters clashed with the state police, resulting in Malik’s death. The police team had been looking for Gurung, who is in hiding, when the clash had taken place in the Tukvar forest. The GJM chief is also named as an accused in the S-I’s killing.

Meanwhile, the state administration on Wednesday sealed the central party office of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, saying it was on government land.

The sealing of the office in Singamari is among a series of steps by the state government to put pressure on Bimal Gurung, the now-in-hiding leader of the Darjeeling party.

On Wednesday morning, state officials locked the party office and pasted a notice that said: “This property and land belongs to the Govt of West Bengal. Entry is forbidden.”

A government official in Kolkata said: “It has been done under the order of the district magistrate. The land belongs to the state government.”

The party office was mostly empty after the the police and administration cracked down on GJM leaders and workers owing allegiance to Gurung. Gurung himself is in hiding after a number of cases were slapped against him including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

“This is another case of the state government trying to put pressure on us. On the one hand, they are providing security and money to traitors such as Binay Tamang, on the other they are forcibly shutting down our party offices under one pretext or another. However, the people of Darjeeling are with us,” said a GJM leader on the condition of anonymity.

The central party office was located near Patlaybas, Gurung’s residence, and was the main office of the party. Even during the initial days of the strike, senior GJM leaders like Roshan Giri used to hold press conferences in the central party office.

According to political observers, at a time the police is conducting raids in search of Gurung and other GJM leaders, it is also sending a message to the people of the Hills.

The Bengal government by appointing expelled GJM leader Binay Tamang as the GTA chief is trying to bring in normalcy in the Hills. Tamang on his part is trying to grab GJM offices.