Arrest warrants against Gurung, GJM leadership in murder case ....Arrest warrant against Gurung, wife, Chhetri and 20 others

IANS, Kolkata, June 6 : A city court on Saturday issued arrest warrants against the entire top leadership of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), including supremo Bimal Gurung, in a murder case.

The case is related to the murder of All India Gorkha League (AIGL) president Madan Tamang, who was stabbed to death in Darjeeling on May 21, 2010.

The CBI, which is probing the case, on May 29 submitted a chargesheet indicting 23 people, including Gurung, of various offences including murder and criminal conspiracy.

City sessions court judge Gopal Chandra Karmakar issued the arrest warrants against Gurung and 22 others, directing the CBI to execute the order by June 26.

The CBI counsel told the court that the case was on for five years and it was imperative that the accused be arrested for effective investigation of the case.

While the defence counsel opposed the plea, the court accepted the CBI's prayer and directed that an officer of the rank of superintendent execute the arrest warrant by June 26 and place a report before the court in that regard.

Gurung is the chief of the autonomous hill council Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

Besides Gurung, the others against whom warrant has been issued include his wife Asha, party MLA from Kalimpong Harkabahadur Chettri, assistant general secretary Benoy Tamang, GTA chairman Pradeep Pradhan and deputy chief executive Colonel Ramesh Allay, among others.

While the GJM has said they would be moving a higher court in appeal, the AIGL has welcomed the verdict calling for the immediate arrest of all the accused.

"We welcome the court's verdict. This should have been done much earlier. We hope all the accused will be arrested immediately," AIGL general secretary Pratap Khati said.

Initially probed by the state police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the matter was handed over to the CBI after prime accused Nicole Tamang disappeared from the CID's custody in August 2010.

Arrest warrant against Gurung, wife, Chhetri and 20 others

PTI, Kolkata June 6, 2015: A city court today issued warrants of arrest against Gorkha Janmukti Morcha(GJM) president Bimal Gurung, his wife Asha, party MLA Harka Bahadur Chettri and 20 others in connection with the murder of All India Gorkha League leader Madan Tamang. 

Acting Chief Judge Gopal Karmakar of City Sessions Court issued the warrants on a prayer by CBI which is investigating the murder of Tamang in Darjeeling town on May 21, 2010. 

The court directed the investigating agency to file a report on execution of the order on June 26.

CBI had on May 29 filed a charge sheet against the GJM leaders levelling charges of murder and criminal conspiracy for the killing of Tamang. 

The investigating agency had filed the final supplementary charge sheet before the court against Gurung, who is also the chief of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), Asha, GJM MLA from Kalimpong Harkabahadur Chettri, GJM Assistant General Secretary Binoy Tamang, GTA chairman Pradeep Pradhan, Deputy Chief Executive of GTA Col Ramesh Allay and 17 others for criminal conspiracy, murder and other charges. 

Prime accused in the case Nickol Tamang had, however, disappeared mysteriously from Pintail village near Siliguri, where he was being held by state CID on August 21, 2010 for interrogation following his arrest. 

Pema Tamang, wife of Nickol Tamang, had moved a habeas corpus petition before the Calcutta High Court praying that her husband be traced. 

The High Court had then directed CBI to take up the Madan Tamang murder case and the Nickol Tamang disappearance case. 

Madan Tamang had been hacked to death in Darjeeling town when he was overseeing preparations for a public meeting.