Court says no to CBI plea for warrants against GJM leaders

MOST OF THE ACCUSED AGAINST WHOM THE CBI WANTED WARRANTS ARE SPEARHEADING A MOVEMENT TO CARVE OUT A SEPARATE STATE

local court in Kolkata on Tuesday rejected Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) appeal for arrest warrants against 22 Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders, including its president Bimal Gurung, in the murder case of prominent Gorkha leader Madan Tamang.

Tamang, president of the All India Gorkha League, was hacked to death in Darjeeling in 2010. Though a supporter of the Gorkhaland movement, he was opposed to Gurung.

Prominent GJM leaders against whom the CBI wanted arrest warrants include Gurung’s wife, Asha Gurung, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri, and the Morcha assistant general secretary Binay Tamang.

The order by the chief judge of city sessions court brought relief to the GJM but it has embarrassed the CBI because it did not accept the central agency’s argument that the case couldn’t be heard in absence of the accused.

The court said the GJM leaders could be represented by their lawyers.

The counsel for GJM leaders also appealed to the court for protection of party leaders and activists living at Gorkha Bhavan in Kolkata and alleged they were being harassed regularly.

The court ordered the Bidhannagar Police commissioner to submit a report.

Former GJM legislator Harka Bahadur Chettri and former GJM leader Pradeep Pradhan were among the 26 who were present in court on Tuesday.

Of the 54 accused in the case, four have already died and two others are absconding.

Most of the accused against whom the CBI wanted arrest warrants are currently spearheading a movement for carving out a separate state for the Nepali-speaking community in Darjeeling.

The judge fixed the period between August one and four for hearings for framing of charges and discharge petitions.