Interpol plan in Gurung hunt - Leader could flee to Nepal

Kinsuk Basu, TT, Calcutta, Sept. 7: Bengal police have started the process of involving the Interpol to seek international cooperation to arrest Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung.

"Let's put it this way. There are certain procedures that need to be followed for issuing Interpol notices. We have initiated them," a senior CID officer said, declining to give further details.

Interpol notices are issued to seek cooperation from the police of 188 member countries.Sources in the Bengal home department said the decision to seek the Interpol's assistance followed intelligence inputs that Gurung could sneak into Nepal or Bhutan.

The police's move came a day after a Darjeeling court issued warrants against Gurung and seven other Morcha leaders. The warrant is expected to help the Bengal government carry out raids in Sikkim, which shares its borders with Nepal and Bhutan.

"Involving the Interpol would help us trace Gurung even if he goes out of the country. Ahead of the September 12 talks in Siliguri, the government wants to send out the message that it would not tolerate anyone opposing the process of building bridges with political parties in the hills," said an official in the home department.

Information trickling down to Nabanna suggests Gurung could possibly choose the way leading out of Tukvar tea estate in Darjeeling - a Morcha stronghold - to the point around Singla Bazaar area where the two tributaries of the Rangit river merge.

"Beyond Rangit is Rorathang, a small village in East Sikkim. From Rorathang, a path down the dense forest of Singalila finally leads to Nepal. This stretch is sparsely populated and mobile towers don't work there," said a source.