CBI Arrests Absconding Accused in 2010 Murder of Madan Tamang in Bengaluru : Accused on the run for over 7 years

Agencies with inputs from PTI, Bengaluru, Feb 6, 2025: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) successfully apprehended Puran Bahadur Rai, a charge-sheeted accused in the 2010 murder case of Madan Tamang, the then President of the Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL), on Thursday. Rai, who had been evading law enforcement since 2017, was arrested in Bommasandra, Maruthi Nagar, in Bengaluru Rural, Karnataka.

CBI stated, "CBI today arrested accused Puran Bahadur Rai from Bommasandra, Maruthi Nagar, Jigani, PS- Jigani, Anekal Taluka, Bengaluru Rural, Karnataka in a murder case of Madan Tamang, then President of Akhil Bhartiya Gorkha League (ABGL). Accused has been evading the process of law since 2017. To hide himself from the process of law, Puran Rai had shifted base from Darjeeling to Bangalore."

"In pursuance to the notifications issued by the Government of West Bengal and the Central Government of India, CBI had taken up the investigation of the case pertaining to the murder of said victim on 21.05.2010 at Darjeeling. CBI had re-registered the case on 19.01.2011 by taking over FIR of Sadar PS, Darjeeling (W.B.)."

"Accused Puran Rai is a charge-sheeted accused in the case and has not been attending the trial proceedings since 2017. The Court of Ld. Chief Judge, City Sessions Court, Kolkata had issued a proclamation against him on 03.04.2017 but he failed to appear before the trial Court. The Ld. Court again issued an open ended warrant against him on 20.11.2024."

"After concerted efforts and technical inputs, CBI arrested the absconding accused. He will be produced before the Competent Court."

Tamang was brutally murdered in broad daylight on May 21, 2010, by an armed mob at the Upper Clubside Stand in Darjeeling town while overseeing preparations for a public meeting. The CBI took over the investigation on January 19, 2011, after the case was initially filed with the Sadar Police Station in Darjeeling. Despite being named in the charge sheet, Rai had been absent from trial proceedings since 2017. In response, the Chief Judge of the City Sessions Court in Kolkata issued a proclamation against him on April 3, 2017, and later an open-ended arrest warrant on November 20, 2024.

In December 2011, Nicole Tamang, another key accused, had been named in the CID charge sheet. Tamang, who had been a prime suspect in the murder, absconded after the incident. He was arrested on August 15, 2011, from a hideout in Bijanbari, Darjeeling. However, Tamang escaped from CID custody on August 22, 2011, while being interrogated at Pintail village near Siliguri. He was among 30 individuals named in the charge sheet filed by the CID.

Further developments in the case include the murder of Dil Kumar Rai, another accused in the case, whose body was found near Singla Tea Estate with deep wounds. While many charge-sheeted individuals were acquitted, Dinesh Subba alias Kaila is also absconding. Notably, Bimal Gurung, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJMM) chief, was initially named as an accused but was discharged by the Chief Judge on August 17, 2017. This ruling prompted the filing of revision petitions by the CBI and Tamang's wife Bharati Tamang. After hearing the revision petitions, Justice Subhendu Samanta reinstated Gurung as an accused in the murder case due to grave suspicion raised by the evidence. The court ordered that the trial against him proceed alongside the other accused.

To escape capture, Rai had relocated from Darjeeling to Bengaluru, where he remained hidden for several years. Following a thorough investigation, which included the use of technical intelligence, the CBI tracked Rai to Bengaluru, where he was arrested and is now set to face trial.

A CBI official expressed that Rai's arrest marks a major development in a long-pending case. “The arrest of Puran Bahadur Rai is a significant breakthrough. The CBI is steadfast in its pursuit of those who attempt to evade justice," the official said.

The murder case has drawn considerable attention due to the political context surrounding the victim, Tamang, who was a prominent figure in the Gorkha community. Rai’s arrest adds to the growing list of efforts to bring those involved in the case to justice.