GJM's Bimal Gurung booked for unlawful activities following twin blasts

Protests over Gorkhaland entered its 67th day on Aug 20

Press Trust of India  |  Darjeeling 

Bimal Gurung, GJM, Gorkhaland
Bimal Gurung, leader of the Morcha and chief executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), which has the partial autonomy to run Darjeeling's administration.

chief has been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with a grenade blast at the police station and an in town, the police said on Sunday.

A hand grenade was hurled at the police station at around 11 pm last night, killing a civic volunteer and injuring two others. The injured were subsequently hospitalised.

An initial probe has revealed that bike-borne miscreants had hurled the grenade at the police station, the police said, adding that they were going through the CCTV footage to get more clues.

In another incident, a high-intensity rocked the Chowkbazar area of town in the early hours on Saturday.

Additional Director General of Police (law and order) Anuj Sharma said Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supremo Gurung and others had been booked under the UAPA in connection with the two blasts.

"We have also slapped charges under the Explosive Substances Act, the Maintenance of Public Order Act, section 302, IPC (punishment for murder) and other sections against Gurung and others," he added.

Meanwhile, a Territorial Administration (GTA) office was set on fire allegedly by supporters at last night.

The situation in remained tensed as the indefinite strike called by the GJM, demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland, entered its 67th day on Sunday.

The grenade attack on the police station and the blast in town were the first such incidents since the indefinite strike began over two months ago.

"We are monitoring each and every entry and exit point. A forensic team will visit the police station," a senior police officer said.

The leadership, however, condemned the attack on the police station.

"We condemn the grenade blast at the police station. It is the handiwork of those who do not want to be formed," a senior leader of the party said.

After Saturday's blast at Chowkbazar, Gurung had written a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, demanding a high-level inquiry by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into it.

Tourism Minister Gautam Deb said those behind the blasts would not be spared and the law would take its own course.

As the police conducted an area domination march in the hills on Sunday, none of the political parties took out any rally.