Hills shut after GJM leader dies in custody
SILIGURI: Bandh returned to Kalimpong in the north Bengal hills on Wednesday as the news of death of a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) councillor, Barun Bhujel, in judicial custody in a Kolkata hospital, travelled to the hills that is trying to return to normalcy after a record 104 days of shutdown.
Bhujel died in SSKM Hospital in the wee hours of Wednesday.
Shops were closed and the streets were empty in Kalimpong town on Wednesday. People paid their last respects at Damber Chowk to Bhujel’s picture.
Though GJM chief Bimal Gurung urged the people of the Darjeeling hills to observe a oneday bandh, Kalimpong went into the shutdown mode on its own. However, the bandh call had no effect on other parts of the hills like Darjeeling and Kurseong.
Councillor of ward number 16 of Kalimpong Municipality, Bhujel was taken to Kolkata and admitted to SSKM three days ago. Earlier, he was admitted in North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) in Siliguri, where his health condition deteriorated.
He was arrested on June 16 on charges of arson and rioting and was in jail for more than four months. “My brother was tortured by police immediately after his arrest and was taken to Siliguri... The police did not honour the request of the family members for better treatment elsewhere,” alleged Biren Bhujel, Barun’s younger brother.
Superintendent of police in Kalimpong district did not respond to phone calls.
However, Manimoy Bandpadhyay, superintendent, SSKM Hospital told the media , “When he was brought to SSKM hospital, his condition was very bad. He was admitted to the ICU.” He added that a post mortem examination will be conducted.
Gurung also claimed that Bhujel was tortured by police after he refused to join TMC and the Binoy Tamang-anit Thapa faction of the GJM.