Darjeeling CoC prez remanded in two-day police custody- Two senior leaders of GJMM’s women wing arrested

SNS, Darjeeling, 12 September 2013: Police today arrested another businessman Mr Nand Kishore Agarwal from Sukhia Pokhari, Darjeeling, allegedly held responsible for diverting PDS grains from his godown to the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM), said the Darjeeling superintendent of police, Mr Kunal Agarwal. 

Earlier, the GJMM had distributed ration (rice and aata) free of cost to the locals during the tenure of the bandh.
However, the party sources maintain that the cost to purchase the ration was put up by the party.
The message from Mr Agarwal reads, "Just arrested Nand Kishore Agarwal of Sukhia responsible for diverting PDS grains from his godown to GJMM. He confessed."
Police have not yet confirmed under which Sections Mr Agarwal has been booked.
“It will only be learnt tomorrow, if he (Nand Kishore Agarwal) is produced in court,” adds the assistant public prosecutor, Mr Pankaj Prasad.
“If he was arrested today he should have been produced in court. There is a possibility that he might have only been detained,” added other lawyers.
Mr Brij Mohan Garg, the president of Darjeeling Chamber of Commerce had been produced in court the very day he was arrested.
He was arrested yesterday for his alleged connection to the Takdah forest bungalow arson.
The hearing was scheduled for today.
“The CJM court has granted two-day police remand on the basis of preliminary reports filed by police showing BM Garg's connection with the arson. The next hearing has been scheduled on 14 September,” Mr Prasad said.
It can be mentioned here that on 27 August, the Bengal food and supplies department had sealed three of Mr Brij Mohan Garg's godowns in Darjeeling and Ghoom under the public distribution system during the strike in the hills. Speculation were rife that the PDS grains were being leaked from his godowns too.
Meanwhile, the Chief Judicial Magistrate court today granted bail to Mr Himangshu Garg, the public relation officer of Darjeeling Chamber of Commerce who was arrested yesterday.
“Himangshu was booked for his role in picketing at one of the government offices during the first three days of the strike in the Hills on 29, 30 and 31 July. Today, he was produced in court and has been bailed,” said Mr Prasad.
He had been booked under IPC Section 143 (Punishment), 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 448 (Punishment for house trespass) and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation).
Also two more woman activists of the party was arrested from Kalimpong.
Mr Roshan Giri, the general secretary to the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha, reacting to the continued arrest spree of police threatened a ‘jail bharo'.
Mr Giri said: “The strike has been relaxed in view of the assurances received from the union home minister Mr Sushil Kumar Shinde. If police continues picking our party cadres from their houses, the arrested activists of the party will sit for a jail bharo.” 

Although the indefinite bandh has been lifted to make way to normalise life once again in the restless Darjeeling Hills but the trend of arresting GJMM leaderships and its associates continues by the police administration. 
Following the same trend, today, the Kalimpong police arrested two senior leaders of the GJMM women wing on various charges from Gorubathan market area in the Kalimpong sub-division, today morning. The arrested women have been identified as Ms Kavita Gurung, the GJMM central committee member and the GJMM Kalimpong sub-divisional committee member, Ms Usha Gurung. 
Police framed several charges against them; including obstruction of police works in the month of May and August. Notably, in the month of May when the former DGHC councillor and present senior TMC leader from the Hills Mr KN Subba was returning home in the Hills from the plains, there was a stir reportedly between the GJMM and TMC activists. 
Meanwhile, protesting against their arrest, most business establishments have closed in Gorubathan. 
Later, both of them were produced before the ACJM Kalimpong Court, under Sections 143/341/342/431/506/186/323/120(b) and 34 of the IPC, where they have been granted bail. Besides, there were other GJMM supporters who had surrendered themselves before police and have reportedly been given bail by the court. 
Notably, yesterday only, Darjeeling police arrested a renowned business man and Chamber of Commerce, Darjeeling, president, Mr Brij Mohan Garg and another member Mr Himanshu Garg on various charges, including the arson of Takdah Guest House.