GJM leaders get breather from HC in Tamang murder case

In a temporary relief to Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders, including its Chief Bimal Gurung, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed CBI not to arrest them in connection with the Madan Tamang murder case till the disposal of their anticipatory bail plea.

Hearing the anticipatory bail prayer of Gurung, his wife Asha, GJM MLA Harka Bahadur Chettri and some other accused in the case, a division bench of justices Ashim Kumar Roy and M M Banerjee directed the agency not to arrest the accused till the disposal of the plea. It asked CBI to file an affidavit within two weeks.

CBI will produce a comprehensive report on the investigation into the murder of All India Gorkha League president Madan Tamang who was hacked to death in the heart of Darjeeling town on May 21, 2010, the bench said.

The matter will be taken up for hearing after two weeks.

A city court had on June six issued warrants of arrest against Gurung, his wife, Chettri and 20 others in connection with the murder case. The court had directed the investigating agency to file a report on the execution of the order on June 26.

Following this, Gurung and 10 others moved anticipatory bail applications before the Calcutta High Court.

CBI had on May 29 filed a charge sheet against the GJM leaders levelling charges of murder and criminal conspiracy in the Tamang case.

The investigating agency had filed the final supplementary charge sheet before the court against 

Gurung, who is also the Chief of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), Asha, GJM MLA from Kalimpong Harkabahadur Chettri, GJM Assistant General Secretary Binoy Tamang, GTA Chairman Pradeep Pradhan, Deputy Chief Executive of GTA Col Ramesh Allay and 17 others for criminal conspiracy, murder and other charges.

Prime accused in the case Nickol Tamang had, however, disappeared mysteriously from Pintail village near Siliguri, where he was being held by state CID on August 21, 2010 for interrogation following his arrest.