Bengal DGP on two-day visit to the Hills

Darjeeling: The Director General of Police on a two-day visit to the Hills arrived in Darjeeling on Monday.

Surajit Kar Purkayastha visited the Darjeeling Sadar police station and spoke to police personnel in order to boost their morale. The DGP later speaking to the press stated: "The police are doing a commendable job here. Everything is normal here. People are out on the roads. There are tourists too. We want more tourists to come as the situation is normal here," stated the DGP.

Before visiting the police station, the DGP paid a visit to the explosion site at the Darjeeling Motor Stand. Incidentally, a high intensity blast had occurred at the Darjeeling Motor Stand in Darjeeling at around 12.30 am on August 19. The blast had taken place in front of the Super Market. A crater was formed on the road at the site of the blast. Such was the intensity of the blast that glass window panes of nearby building were shattered. The splinters (cut outs from iron sheets and rods) from the explosive made holes in the shutters of shops. The splinters had shot across distances of 30 to 40 meter.

From the police station, the DGP paid a visit to Roy Villa located on Lebong Cart Road. From Roy Villa he was shown the Tukvar, Lapche-Bustee areas. It was in the Lapche-Bustee area on the river-bed of Chota Rangeet where a clash had taken place between security forces and Bimal Gurung's supporters on October 13 that had left Sub-Inspector Amitava Malik dead. He had been shot down when a police team was on a hot pursuit of Bimal Gurung and his men.

The DGP also visited the Singamari area where the GJM party office is located and the area that has witnessed a number of flashpoints during the 104-day long bandh in the Hills. When questioned on the withdrawal of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), the DGP stated: "We have written to the Centre regarding this."

Incidentally, the state government has vehemently criticised the "unilateral" decision of the withdrawal of 10 companies of CAPF out of the 15 companies deployed in the Hills from Monday. The following five companies will be withdrawn by October 20.

The Chief Minister had written to both Prime Minister Modi and Union Home minister Rajnath Singh requesting that CAPF should not be withdrawn from the Hills at the time when normality is slowly returning after the 104-day long bandh. The DGP will be visiting Kalimpong district on Tuesday from where he will depart for Kolkata on Wednesday.