Bail for Gurung in Sibchu case

TT, July 9: Bimal Gurung was granted interim bail today in connection with a clash between his party supporters and police in Sibchu in 2011.

Saraswati Pradhan, a Nari Morcha leader based at Birpara in the Dooars, was also granted bail by the district and sessions court in Jalpaiguri this afternoon in the same case.

“Last week, we submitted the bail petition before the district and sessions court. The court heard the petitions today and granted bail to my client Bimal Gurung and a woman leader of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha,” lawyer Sandip Dutta said.

On February 8, 2011, Morcha supporters clashed with the police while trying to enter Sibchu, the entry point to the Dooars, by breaking a police barricade. Three Morcha supporters were killed in police firing and three policemen were injured in the scuffle.

The then Left Front government handed over the case to the CID for investigation. The probe is on. It was alleged that Morcha supporters had torched forest bungalows in the hills and damaged government properties later.

The police had registered a suo motu case against Gurung, several Morcha leaders and around 1,000 party supporters in Nagrakata on the charges of conspiracy, damaging government property and of obstructing government officials from doing their duty, among others.

Today, government lawyer Somnath Pal did not oppose the bail petitions.

Political observers said Trinamul intends to maintain a liaison with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Gurung. “Trinamul leaders in the hills and the Dooars might resort to criticism of the Morcha during their campaign but by instructing the government lawyer to refrain from objecting to Gurung’s bail petition, Trinamul has made it evident that it does not want fresh problems with the Morcha top leaders,” said an observer.