24-hr bandh in hills peaceful...no untoward incident reported till evening

Photo Courtesy: HRPA

SNS, Darjeeling, 29 September : The 24-hour bandh, called by the GJMM-backed student’s wing in the Hills, passed off peacefully today and no untoward incident was reported till this evening. 

The outfit had called the strike to protest police atrocities during a demonstration against the molestation of a 16-year-old girl at Ghoom in Darjeeling yesterday, allegedly by a RAF constable. The administration had arrested the RAF constable,  Arun Pramanik of the 2nd Battalion, Barrackpur, and brought the situation under control yesterday. He was produced before the Darjeeling Chief Judicial Magistrate court today. The next hearing is scheduled for 5 October. 

Police resorted to a lathi-charge after angry protestors torched a state bus in the Hills. Police continued raids last night to nab a group of people involved in violence and arson. It was learnt that angry people tried to set a police outpost at Singhmari on fire.

Police yesterday arrested 21 persons from Darjeeling, five from Kalimpong. Sixty nine more were held for preventive measures and five others to execute pending arrest warrants.

“Yesterday's violence and arson triggered law and order problem. Now it has been brought back to normalcy,” said special Inspector General of Darjeeling police, Mr Javed Shamim.

“We had never thought of such a stray incident to occur. Forces have been deployed in the Hills but such incident has not taken place in the past two months. I believe the relation between police and public will remain good,” Mr Shamim added.

Huge forces, including Central police, were deployed in the Hills after the GJMM started a fresh agitation for separate state of Gorkhaland. Mr Shamim further said that he would talk to the heads of the educational institutions in the Hills.

“Majority of the school students were engaged in hostile activities yesterday. We shall soon have talks with the head of the institutions as to know who will take the risk if anything untoward happens to them,” Mr Shamim added.

Eye-witnesses said  even students were not spared in the lathi-charge by the forces yesterday. They had gathered to protest the alleged heinous act of the RAF upon the 16-year-old student. 

The doctor’s report has confirmed that the victim is out of danger but she is still in trauma.