Tamang to finally walk out on bail

TNN, 22 December 2013, Kolkata: ARJEELING: The ripples of renewed friendship between Bimal Gurung and chief minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata was felt in the Hills on Saturday with a Darjeeling court granting bail to Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) assistant secretary Binay Tamang. 

Tamang is also the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) sabhasad from the Bloomfield constituency of Darjeeling and was arrested on the night of August 21, allegedly for torching the Takdah forest guest house at the beginning of the fresh agitation for a separate Gorkhaland state in July. 

He was later tagged in 18 more cases and confined to judicial custody despite recieving bail on all ocassions barring two. The two cases related to Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling were pending against him. 

"Tamang has recieved bail in his last case today and will be released after the paper work is completed," said Dinesh Chandra Rai, the defense lawyer for the GJM leader. 

Before the Friday meeting with the Bengal chief minister, the GJM president had said he was going with an open mind to listen to Banerjee who had invited him. 

He had however stressed he would take up the release of arrested leaders and activists fervently. 

Though Rai failed to elaborate, court sources however said Santanu Mishra, the third court additional district and session's judge granted bail to Tamang on the ground that he had been in the correctional home for a long time.