WBCPCR summons Gurung for ransacking car carrying kids

Kolkata: As the state police have launched a manhunt to nab Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) chief Bimal Gurung, the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) sent fresh summons to him to appear in person before the Commission's bench on October 23.

The summons of the WBCPCR comes in the wake of the incident on September 15 when GJM supporters were seen ransacking a car carrying schoolchildren.

The Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of the incident as they believe that such acts were gross violations of the child rights. The GJM chief has been directed to appear before the Commission's bench comprising its chairman and members at the conference room of WBCPCR at 11 am on October 23.

The Commission through its summons has warned that if Gurung does not comply with the same he will be subjected to legal consequences of "ignoring directions of a lawful authority of competent jurisdiction."

The WBCPCR had send summons to Gurung for holding political rallies in Darjeeling on June 29 and July 3 with schoolchildren during school hours. But the GJM chief did not depose.

On August 17, the Commission passed its recommendations to the Director General of Police (DG) Surajit Kar Purkayastha, Secretary, School Education department and Secretary department of Women & Child Development & Social Welfare to draw criminal proceedings against the GJM chief.

The state Child & Women Development and Social Welfare department had set up WBCPCR in exercise of powers under sub-section (1) read with clauses (a) to (d) of sub-section (2) under section 36 of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005 with the objective of ensuring protection of children against all forms of abuse and violation of child rights.