Bandh across hills ends peacefully

EOIC, Darjeeling, 29 Sep 2013: The police have blamed Saturday’s incident to rumours spread by opportunist elements that instigated students to turn violent resulting in a clash between the administration and the public in the heart of Darjeeling town.

Taking stock of Saturday’s clash, Darjeeling Special IG Jawed Shamim today said, “We have always maintained good relations and want to be in the best of terms with the public. But things went out of hand yesterday because of rumours spread by elements who do not want to see the bonhomie continuing. We are presently trying to identify these elements whose intentions appear to be diabolical.”

Darjeeling town was engulfed in violence on Saturday in the wake of reports of a Rapid Action Force jawan molesting a minor near Ghoom-Bhanjyang. The police had to resort to lathicharge and fire eight rounds in the air in the Chowk Bazaar area to disperse the agitators.

In retaliation, the angry crowd set ablaze a state transport bus and tried to attack a police outpost near Singamari with petrol bombs. About 100 people have been arrested from Darjeeling as well as from Kalimpong sub-division, where angry protests were also witnessed. Another state transport bus was set on fire by the mob in Kalimpong.

“There hasn’t been any incident of such magnitude in the past couple of months in spite of the heavy presence of security forces. Saturday’s incident was a one-off case,” the special IG said.

He also pointed out public sentiment, based on wrong information, was another factor that led to the outburst.

“Rumours were spread about the RAF constable raping the girl, but this was not true at all. Whenever a man of uniform is linked to such cases, emotions get the better of reason,” noted Shamim, adding whatever necessary action that was needed to be taken against the accused has been carried out.

The accused, Arun Pramanik, a constable of the 2nd Battalion from Barrackpore, was today produced before Darjeeling court. Since no bail plea was moved, the court sent the RAF constable to judicial custody till the next hearing on October 5.

Meanwhile, the police are questioning and seeking explanations from school heads as several students in uniform were seen among the agitators.

“We are getting in touch with school heads to ask them why students were allowed to participate in the gherao of the police station. The heads cannot shrug off responsibility as many students have been seen in uniform,” said the Special IG.

“Not only was the future of the students put in danger yesterday, but their lives were also at risk. If students get arrested, will they be able get government jobs in future?” asked Shamim.

Reacting to the charge, a school head on condition of anonymity said, “We called off classes when news of the molestation attempt spread and were waiting for parents of junior students to come and take them away. We had asked the seniors to go home, but it appears some picketers approached and took along some senior students. Under such a circumstance, we cannot be put at fault”.

In another development during the day, the chief judicial magistrate court granted interim bail to Jyoti Kumar Rai and Anjali Subba. The duo had been arrested yesterday along with 21 others.

Rai, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha assistant secretary and an elected member of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, and the others were arrested on charges of arson and criminal conspiracy under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. They will all have to appear before the court on October 5.

The bandh called today in the three sub-divisions by the Gorkha Janmukti Vidhyarthi Morcha to condemn Saturday’s molestation incident was fully successful with no untoward incidents reported.

GJM leaders refused to make any comments on the incident even as students have said they will hold rallies on Monday. Eleven CRPF companies along with state security forces have been put on patrol and stationed at strategic places of town.