Cops trying hard to trace main accused in Tamang’s murder

SNS, Siliguri, 13 September 2013: Though police have arrested more than 1,000 people in connection with several pending criminal cases, they have not been able to trace Nicole Tamanag, the main accused in the murder case of AIGL president Madan Tamang, despite several attempts during raids in Darjeeling. 

In order to put pressure on the GJMM, the state police are trying hard to arrest Nicole Tamang during a special drive to arrest all GJMM activists involved in various pending cases. 

Police are looking for over 200 GJMM supporters in connection with pending criminal cases. 

The Inspector General of Police, north Bengal, Mr Shashikant Pujari, said that police were trying hard to arrest Nicole Tamang. 

Nicole Tamang was arrested nearly three months after the barbaric murder of Madan Tamang in broad daylight in Darjeeling on 21 May 2010. 

But Nicole Tamang, during interrogation at Pintail Village in Siliguri, had managed to escape from the CID’s clutch on 22 August 2010. He was arrested a day before tripartite talks in Delhi for setting up an interim Hill council. 

The GJMM was then in an uncomfortable position and started an agitation demanding the state would have to bring back Nicole Tamang alive and alleged that he died in CID custody. 

Sources said Nicole Tamang reportedly managed to escape again during raids in the GLP camp recently. 

“Present police officials, who have been conducting raids, facing difficulties in identifying Nicole Tamang and failed to trace his hideouts at present,” a senior police officer said. 

“Though we are not directly handing the case in which Nicole is involved but if we can arrest him he will be handed over to the appropriate authority,” he said. 

Senior police officials have been trying hard to trace Nicole Tamang just to keep the GJMM under pressure and to pacify its leadership to run the GTA electing a new chief executive, after resignation of Mr Bimal Gurung. 

Notably, the state has planned to fix a second date for the CE election after the first election meeting flopped on 4 August. Sources said the state has asked the authorities concerned, including the GTA chairman, to hold a meeting on 27 September to elect a new CE. 

Notably, the GJMM chief Mr Bimal Gurung, in his Facebook post, condemned the state government's role to crackdown on the Gorkhaland movement by arresting innocent supporters of Gorkhaland. 

Mr Gurung also made it clear that his party was demanding unconditional release of all Gorkhaland supporters arrested by police in the past two months. It may be noted that the GJMM leadership was not interested in running the GTA. 

They are also reluctant to elect a new GTA chief executive unless the state government releases over 10 GTA members, who are behind bars at present.