SC grants Gurung police reprieve

TT, New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday restrained Bengal police from resorting to "any coercive action" against Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Bimal Gurung.

"Issue notice, returnable in two weeks. In the meantime, no coercive steps shall be taken against the petitioner," a bench of Justices A.K. Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said in an order while seeking the Bengal government's response on the issue within two weeks.

Gurung had invoked the extraordinary jurisdiction of the top court under Article 32 seeking protection against arrest and setting up of an independent investigation team.

Article 32 empowers a citizen to directly approach the Supreme Court for protection of fundamental rights instead of exploring the remedy through a trial court and thereafter the high court.

Gurung has been on the run for almost three months and has not been able to make any public appearances since Independence Day at a time many of his party supporters deserted him.

Late on Monday evening, Gurung's supporters burst crackers across the hills welcoming the Supreme Court's order as they felt that he could now come out in the open.

Senior advocate Harish Salve appeared for Gurung. The petition, filed by advocate Shinoj K. Narayanan, sought the apex court's intervention for a probe by an independent agency into "false cases".

Gurung issued a statement thanking the Supreme Court.

Gurung suspended

The rebel camp of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha on Monday suspended Bimal Gurung and Roshan Giri for six months and replaced them with Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa as the president and the general secretary, respectively.

The Morcha central committee that met in Darjeeling also suspended Gurung's wife, Asha, who is the chief of the Nari Morcha, and 13 other leaders for the same period.

Observers believe the rebel camp of Tamang and Thapa has taken the decision to ensure that the Centre invites them, not Gurung and Giri, to a proposed tripartite meeting.