Four police personnel injured in fresh Darjeeling violence

PTI, 9 July 2017, Darjeeling: The violence erupted again in Darjeeling on Sunday on the 25th day of pro-Gorkhaland stir, with agitators setting aflame a police camp, injuring four police personnel and attacking a BDO office at Pokribong. The GJM activists also took out a rally at Chowkbazar with the bodies of Suraj Sundas and Sameer Subba who were allegedly killed in police firing. The GNLF also took out a procession at Sonada with the body of Tashi Bhutia who too was allegedly killed in police firing. The protesters also attacked the Sonada police station and torched a part of it in what was second such attack in two days.

The Sonada police station was attacked on Saturday too, by protesters. A police booth was also set ablaze in Darjeeling by the protesters.

In the afternoon on Sunday a huge mob attacked a BDO office and a police camp at Pokribong and set it on fire as several police personnel were also beaten up.

Meanwhile, the all-party meeting of the hill parties, which was scheduled to take place on July 18, has been advanced to July 11.

The GJM has claimed that four persons were killed during police firing after clashes broke out between pro-Gorkhaland supporters and police in various parts of the hills on Saturday.

The police, however, denied the reports of firing and said it did not fire a “single shot.”

M S Rai, chairman of the Rai Development Board, resigned last night in protest against the alleged killings. The GJM also rejected Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s offer of talks on Saturday.