Realtor with GNLF link held

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, Nov. 15: A Darjeeling-based realtor has been held for allegedly trying to burn down police property at the height of the recent Gorkhaland agitation, but police sources said Sandip Lama came under the radar because he funded the GNLF.

The arrest of Lama, 43, from his house yesterday evening is a continuation of a crackdown by the police on Subash Ghisingh’s party in the hills.

Businessmen who were believed to be funding the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha were also arrested during the shutdown in the hills from July-end to mid- September.

Lama has been booked for his involvement in an attempt to burn down the Singamari police outpost and a police vehicle on July 31, 2013.

The incident took place soon after the Morcha renewed the state agitation following the Congress nod to the creation of Telangana.

Pankaj Prasad, an assistant public prosecutor, said: “Sadip Lama was produced in the court of the chief judicial magistrate in Darjeeling today and remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.”

The government lawyer said Lama had been booked under Sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 435 (mischief with fire or explosive with intent to cause damage) of the IPC, along with other sections of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

The police had arrested six GNLF workers and a leader on different charges in Darjeeling and Kalimpong in the past two days.

Six of them have got interim bail.

Police sources in the hills said yesterday that the GNLF activists were arrested to keep calm in the hills before the Morcha’s talks with the state on November 20 and with the Centre the next day.

But Trinamul sources had suggested that the arrests were made to check the GNLF that could emerge as a competing force against Trinamul when both parties are trying to make a base in the hills to counter the Morcha.

The arrests of the GNLF activists would also not upset the Morcha, which treats Ghisingh’s party as an adversary.

Asked about the charges slapped on Lama, a police source said: “We have been able to establish that he used to fund the GNLF.”

Sources said the builder was also known to be close to the Morcha.

The GNLF hasn’t commented on Lama’s arrest, but the party said it would go ahead with the plan to hold a meeting at Dooteriya helipad, 20km from here, on Sunday.

“Our party unit in the Dooteriya-Rangbull area had sought permission to use loudhailers on November 17. We have not yet received the nod from the administration,” said Indramani Rai, convenor of the GNLF’s Darjeeling Sadar I committee.