GJM Delhi chief arrest to reveal funds trail

Manoj Shankar (Centre)

Dwaipayan Ghosh | TNN | Oct 27, 2017, KOLKATA: GJM's Delhi chief Manoj Shankar's arrest has come as a "prize catch" for the Bengal CID. Shankar was brought to the city on Wednesday night and produced in court before CID could take him back to Siliguri.

He was on the run ever since arrest warrants were issued. Investigators suspected Shankar was the key person in channelling GJM money through hawala route and several 'jama-kharchi' NGOs in North Dinajpur and Cooch Behar.

With front-ranking GJM leaders going underground, Shankar rose to become the party's fundraiser, collecting mostly from businessmen in north India and maintaining funds flow to Hills through NGOs. It is not without reason that GJM supporters could sustain the 104-day shutdown during the Gorkhaland agitation. CID had been after Shankar in a bid to cut off funds flow, as also three other Hills-based businessmen who used to give money to GJM president Bimal Gurung.

Even as Shankar claimed he was acting on behalf of Binay Tamang, the rebel GJM leader, to bolster development in the Hills, ADG (CID) Rajesh Kumar said: "He was the party's linkman between Hills and Delhi."

Sources said Shankar took the lead in diverting cash and food collected in the Hills just before the agitation began - about 1,400kg rice and a few lakh rupees collected from tea workers - and parking the funds in "safe destinations".

Investigators have come to know Shankar was in touch with Gorkha leaders in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and used to collect funds from them too. "It was Shankar who was handling social media cell of GJM in north India and was in the know of Bimal Gurung's plans for October 30," a CID source said.

"He was trying to organize both Dinajpur and Malda people in favour of GJM. He was in touch with top personalities of Delhi who are in favour of division of Bengal," said a top IPS officer.