Masked men roam after dark, loot people, vandalise vehicles

SILIGURI:With no end to the indefinite bandh in sight, an emerging menace has raised the hackles of the administration in Darjeeling — a group of masked men has been going on a rampage, vandalising property and vehicles.

Significantly, the group strikes only after dark, and mostly targets vehicles plying in the hills, vandalising them and even looting the passengers. The men have their faces covered, which, coupled with the cover of darkness, makes it impossible to establish their identity.

“Groups of outsiders, some of them armed and masked, are roaming around the hills, destroying government property,” Darjeeling district magistrate Joyoshi Dasgupta told HT.

Not a single person has been caught and no official complaint has been lodged. “The group comprises people from Goak, Kaijaley, Rimbik and Sukiapokhari. They work on rotation and even loot people travelling in the night for emergency purposes,” the official said.

On August 3, some miscreants tried to set fire to a forest department tower at Lamahata. Locals claimed they saw a few masked people fleeing the spot.

In a separate incident a day before, masked men looted ₹70,000 from people in a vehicle which was found vandalised between Sonada and Ghoom. This was reportedly the first incident of passengers being looted in the hills in the current phase of agitation.

The DM claims some of these masked attackers are backed by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), the principal political party in the hills, to ensure traffic remains affected during the indefinite bandh.

Rejecting the charge, GJM assistant secretary Binay Tamang said, “This is nothing but a conspiracy to defame the Morcha that is conducting a peaceful and democratic movement. We have heard that in a few instances, supporters of opposition parties were involved and the West Bengal government is doing this in a planned way.”