GJM’s Delhi chief Manoj Sankar to be produced in Siliguri court today: CID

GJM Delhi president Manoj Sankar (centre) in Kolkata on Wednesday. (Express Photo)

MP, Kolkata: Gorkha Janamukti Morcha's Delhi unit president Manoj Shankar, who was arrested in Delhi and brought here, was on Thursday taken to West Bengal's Siliguri on a three-day transit remand, a police official said. "Shankar has been taken to Siliguri today in three days' transit remand given by the Alipore court. He would be further interrogated on the case registered against him on June 9," Deputy Inspector General, CID, Nishad Parvez told IANS.

Shankar had allegedly given shelter to the absconding GJM chief Bimal Gurung, he added. Arrested by the West Bengal CID from Delhi on Tuesday for his alleged involvement in the clash between state police and GJM supporters near Darjeeling's Bhanu Bhaban during the Gorkhaland agitation on June 9, Shankar was one of the six GJM leaders, along with Gurung and his wife, against whom the CID issued arrest warrants last month.

ENS | Kolkata | October 27, 2017: The GJM’s Delhi president Manoj Sankar has been taken to Siliguri on transit remand and will be produced in a court there on Friday. Hours after he was arrested in the capital, the CID had brought him by air to Kolkata. He was then taken to Bhavani Bhavan, the CID headquarters. 

The state CID had on Wednesday arrested Sankar from a market complex in Delhi’s Safdargunj Enclave area in connection with the Bhanu Bhavan violence case. On June 9, GJM supporters had clashed with police outside Bhanu Bhavan in Darjeeling, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was holding a Cabinet meeting. Police had booked GJM chief Bimal Gurung, among others, in the incident.

“I have no knowledge why I have been arrested. I stay in Delhi, CID officials had come and told me that there are some allegations against me and I should cooperate with them, hence I have come along,” Sankar told the press outside the airport on Wednesday night. 

On Thursday, he was produced in the Alipore court, which ordered three days’ transit remand. “He will be produced in the court in Siliguri tomorrow,” said ADG CID Dr. Rajesh Kumar.

According to CID sources, Sankar was allegedly helping Gurung, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri among others financially. They said Sankar had provided financial support to Gurung during the 104-day indefinite strike in the Hills for the formation of a separate Gorkhaland. However, the funds provided by him were allegedly “misused”. 

Sources in the CID further said that Gurung and others allegedly used a lot of money to “spread violence in the Hills to keep their movement for Gorkhaland alive”. The agency will be probing the route from where Gurung had been receiving financial support to carry out alleged “illegal activities”, they added.

Sources said Sankar was in touch with all “top personalities” of New Delhi who are in favour of Gorkhaland. He had also been in contact with people in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand for funding. Sankar was also allegedly recruiting people from areas such as North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda for the movement, said the CID.