SC asks GJM leaders to approach Calcutta HC to seek protection

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked GJM leaders Roshan Giri and Bimal Gurung, who are seeking protection to participate in campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls, to approach Calcutta high court within four days for the relief.

A bench of Justices Arun Mishra, M M Shantanagoudar and Navin Sinha said no coercive action be taken against the leaders till then.

The court said the Calcutta high court will decide the matter expeditiously.

Giri had on Tuesday told the apex court that Mamata Banerjee led West Bengal government was "vindictive" towards him and has implicated him in several "bogus cases".

However, the West Bengal government has strongly opposed his contentions and said Giri was an absconder and there were several incriminating materials against him which allegedly showed his complicity in various cases of heinous nature.

Giri and Gurung are among the accused in the 2010 Madan Tamang murder case. Besides this, several other cases are pending against them in West Bengal.

Police have claimed Tamang, who was the All India Gorkha League (AIGL) president, was hacked to death in Darjeeling on May 21, 2010 in broad daylight when he was overseeing preparations for a public meeting.

Giri has been charged with alleged "criminal conspiracy for murder", along with several other aides of him, in the murder case of Tamang.