Suspected Gorkha activists burn newspaper vendor vehicle at

UNI, Kurseong | Aug 9 2017: Suspected Gorkha activists today torched a vehicle, stacked with daily newspapers, a day after the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) warned against plying of cars on NH 10 and NH 55 from plains to retaliate the arrest of some leaders by police in Siliguri as the marathon shutdown in Darjeeling hills entered the 58th day crippling life in this strategic eastern Himalaya.

There had been incidents of arson and torching of the government and private property since June 8 last, but setting afire newspaper vehicle was the first of its kind in the current spate of movement for statehood of the Indian Gorkhas in North Bengal districts.

Official sources said while a newspaper-laden van sped past Rohini before the attackers could stop the vehicle, the suspected Gorkha activists caught the driver of another newspaper van, dragged him out and set afire the vehicle near Zero point at Kurseong this morning.

Meanwhile, there had been no response so far from either the Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee (GMCC) or from the GJM leadership after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee offered conditional talk with the Gorkha leaders for restoration of peace in the Hills. She said in the State Assembly yesterday that so far the loss incurred amounted to around Rs 550 crore due to this agitation and now time has come to restore normalcy.

Siliguri police yesterday arrested GJM leader Vishal Chettri, a day after the CID held two suspects, including a Nepal citizen, for arson during statehood agitation at Sukna on July 29 in which several policemen and Gorkha supporters were injured.

Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar Singh said Vishal Chettri, a leader of the Morcha from Sukna, was held on Tuesday for his alleged iinvolvement in Sukna violence in which many petrol bombs were hurled on policemen on July 29.

GJM leader Shankar Adikari reacting to the arrest of Vishal Chettri said police torture on the GJM activists would not help stopping of the statehood movement.

Nepalese national Uday Hang Fagu of Ilum and GJM organising secretary (Sukna) Nitin Chettri, who were arrested on Monday, have been remanded in 12- day police custody.

The GJM today launched " Quit Darjeeling" movement for the West Bengal Government, coinciding with the ''Quit India'' movement during the freedom struggle against the then British government.