State withdraws Bimal cases- as for the UAPA cases against Mr Gurung an order had already been given by the Supreme Court that no cohesive action should be taken until further orders on it

SNS, DARJEELING/SILIGURI, 20 FEBRUARY 21: The state government's law department has asked police in some north Bengal districts to withdraw several court cases slapped on leader of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha Bimal Gurung and his associates.

According to the Public Prosecutor at the Darjeeling Court, Pranoy Rai, around 70 to 80 such cases have already been withdrawn.

It may he mentioned here that the state government had filed several cases, including those under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), against Mr Gurung and other leaders and activists of his party during the Gorkhaland agitation in the  Hills in the year 2017. Mr Gurung had been on the run ever since, while he resurfaced in Kolkata in October last year and threw his weight behind Trinamul Congress leader and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the upcoming Assembly elections.

"There were more than 156 cases of Gurung's Vs the state of West Bengal, pertaining to the Gorkhaland agitation of 2007-2017.The Legal Remembrancer department (LR) had asked my opinion under Sec 321 of the Criminal Procedure Code. I have given the opinion as the PP and it has gone to the Governor's office and 70 to 80 cases have already been withdrawn," Mr Rai said today, adding that the same is being done for cases registered against other Morcha leaders too.

According to him, as for the UAPA cases against Mr Gurung an order had already been given by the Supreme Court that no cohesive action should be taken until further orders on it. When contacted for comment on the withdrawal of cases, Morcha leader (Gurung camp), Roshan Giri, said, "We do not know anything about it, as nothing official has come to us."

In Siliguri, veteran CPI-M leader Asok Bhattacharya said the state government cannot withdraw cases in such a manner.

The condition for joining hands with Mamata Banerjee was that the state wouId withdraw all cases framed against Bimal Gurung. As Gurung has started campaigning in favour of the TMC so that the party can win the Assembly elections, Mamata Banerjee, who herself framed the charges, has now decided to withdraw them. The state cannot withdraw cases in such a manner," Mr Bhattacharya said.

Tourism Minister Gautam Deb, on the other hand, said: "There is a certain procedure to withdraw cases through the court. The Law Department is looking into the matter. I would not comment on the matter."