Leading businessmen held in Darj- Business establishments close down on the first day of lifting of bandh

THT, 12 September 2013, DARJEELING: Prominent businessmen were arrested on Wednesday and blamed for funding disruptive activities in Darjeeling and intimidating people in West Bengal’s hills, the police said. 

Brij Mohan Garg was also implicated in the torching of Tukdah forest bungalow on the night of August 2. He has been charged under Section 436 (mischief by fire or explosive;) 447 (criminal trespass;) 457 (house trespassing;) 120B (criminal conspiracy). 

He was produced at the chief judicial magistrate court where his bail prayer was rejected. Another businessman, Himangshu Garg was nabbed for forcing traders to close their shops, said Deputy Inspector General and Special Inspector General (Darjeeling) Jawed Shamim. 

Two other businessmen - Dilip Parik and Mangaylal Parik - were also arrested from Sangam Bazaar area under Darjeeling subdivision. 

A couple of days back, businessman Ashok Periyal was arrested from Kalimpong for funding GJM and its agitation. Wednesday’s arrests were based on information gathered from Periyal’s interrogation. 

A police officer said an FIR had been lodged at the Sukhiapokhri police station against Gorkahland Territorial Administration member and GJM assistant secretary Jyoti Kumar Rai for hoarding rice meant for the public distribution system. 

Meanwhile, the state government has show-caused over 500 ration dealers in the hills for keeping their shops closed during the pro-Gorkhaland agitation by the GJM, state minister for food and supplies Jyotipriya Mallick said. 

“The ration dealers have been directed to attend a hearing and explain why their licences should not terminated as they kept their shops closed and did not distribute rice and wheat to the people,” Mallick said. 

Garg is a distributor for PDS in Darjeeling and a partner of Marigold Industries (P) Ltd. Interestingly, on August 28, the food and supplies department sealed 3 godowns located at Ghoom-bhanjyang belonging to Garg. 

Food grains stocked in these three godowns used to be distributed to more than 200 PDS shops in Darjeeling. Both the Darjeeling Chamber of commerce and the minority front condemned Garg’s arrest. 

Posters were put up condemning the arrest and memorandums submitted to the district magistrate. “The arrest has shaken the foundation of the trust shared between administration and the business community. We strongly condemn the arrest,” said the memorandum. 

“Businessmen want peace and normalcy. It seems that the government does not want normalcy in the Hills. Whenever there is some semblance of normalcy, the government creates trouble,” said a member of the chamber of commerce. 

Even the GJM supported the closure of business establishments on Wednesday. “Would a 57-year-old businessman go to Tukdah at night to torch a bungalow? Government is indulging in terror tactics by arresting innocent people and framing false charges against them. It is a human rights violation and human rights organisations should speak up. The government is instigating trouble. This is a conspiracy to derail the Gorkhaland movement,” said GJM general secretary Roshan Giri. 

Political observers say that despite the GJM’s climb down with the withdrawal of the agitation, the government’s continued strongarm tactics could aggravate the situation. The GJM has suspended the agitation till October 20.

Deep Gazmer, TNN, DARJEELING: Businessmen in the Hills seem to be bearing the brunt for financially supporting the separate statehood demand.
Prominent trader and Darjeeling Chamber of Commerce president Brij Mohan Garg was arrested from his house early on Wednesday and later in the day, local businessman Himangshu Garg was picked up from near the DM's office on Hill Cart Road.
Brij was arrested in connection with torching of a state guest house in Tukdah on August 1, but police didn't disclose the reason behind Himangshu's arrest. Locals say they faced the ire for financially supporting the statehood movement.
On September 7, businessman Asoke Periwal of Kalimpong was arrested for reportedly supporting the GJM movement.
As a mark of protest, traders in the Hills downed shutters on Wednesday. They submitted a memorandum to the DM and agreed to reopen shops from Thursday on his request.
Brij was produced at the CJM court and remanded in judicial custody. "The primary charges against him are conspiring against the state and torching the guest house," said APP Pankaj Prasad. TNN"Police had made a prayer to the CJM court for two days' remand. But due to non-availability of the investigation report, the accused has been sent to the Darjeeling correctional home," added Pankaj Prasad.
Word doing the rounds is that police suspect Garg is one of the many businessmen who are extending monetary support to GJM. In fact on August 27, the food and supplies department sealed three PDS godowns co-owned by Garg near Ghoom Bhanjyang. They suspect food grains were supplied to the agitators.
"We held a meeting with the DM today and submitted a memorandum deputation. Acting on the request of the district magistrate to maintain normalcy, we have decided to open our shops from tomorrow. Even our president has appealed to us to ensure people are not affected. However, we have made it clear that we will not tolerate arrests of innocent businessmen in the near future," said Lallan Prasad, the coordination committee chairman of the Darjeeling Chamber of Commerce. "After a prolonged bandh, we had thought of starting on a positive note. But this act by the administration has shattered the morale of the local business community," he added.
GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said, "The Bengal government is violating human rights, spreading a reign of terror by arresting innocent people and implicating them in false cases. The intention is clearly to diffuse the separate statehood agitation. But the state government will not succeed as people are with us."
Traders in the Hills downed shutters on Wednesday to protest against the arrest of prominent businessman and Darjeeling Chamber of Commerce president BM Garg. Though Garg was held in connection with torching of a state government guest house in Tukdah on August 1, it is believed that the businessman ostensibly in connection with the torching of a government guest house in Tukdah, on August 1, in the wake of a renewed statehood movement.
Police picked up B. M. Garg early this morning from his residence below Chowrastha following which traders closed their establishments and demonstrated outside the sadar police station in protest. They also submitted a deputation to the district magistrate later in the afternoon.
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) party in a joint consensus of member constituents of the Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee (GJAC) on Tuesday had called off the ongoing month long agitation from today. Garg has been charged under sections 436, 457, 447 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code which includes conspiracy, arson and prevention of damage to public properties. He was produced to the chief judicial magistrate court in Darjeeling and his bail plea rejected. "The primary charges against is conspiring against the state government and torching the Tukdah forest guest house," said assistant police prosecutor Pankaj Prasad. The businessman has been sent to judicial custody and directed to attend the hearing, tomorrow. "Police had made a prayer to the CJM court for two days remand. But due to non-availability of investigative report, the accused has been sent to the Darjeeling correctional home," said the APP.
Apparently, police suspect Garg is one of the many businessmen extending monetary support to GJM for the ongoing movement. The food and supplies department has already sealed august 27 three PDS godown co-owned by Garg near Ghoom Bhanjyang suspecting food grains were being diverted to the agitators. In fact, police on September 7 also arrested Asoke Periwal of Kalimpong alleged to be a key financier and fund manager of GJM president Bimal Gurung which was followed by the arrests two persons from Sukhia Pokhari with 100 bags of unaccounted rice and over a lakh of rupees on September 9.
Traders from the minority community and members of the chamber of commerce condemned Garg's arrest and shut closed down their establishments in Darjeeling and Kalimpong, today, although, Kurseong sub-division remained opened. However, following intervention of the Darjeeling district magistrate and a formal request, the business fraternity has decided to open from Thursday.