GTA councillor arrested in Kalimpong

KALIMPONG/ DARJEELING, August 13, 2013

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) vice president cum councillor Kalyan Dewan was arrested as the indefinite shutdown in Darjeeling Hills entered the tenth day yesterday.

The GTA councilor from Gidabling was picked up from Kalimpong town in connection with some old cases of rioting and damaging public property, said Additional Superintendent of Police (Kalimpong) Songmit Lepcha.

Lepcha added that two warrants for cases at Nagarkatta thana was pending against the GTA councilor.

Kalyan was moving towards Darjeeling to attend a meeting when he was stopped midway by police.  He was later in the evening produced before sub divisional executive magistrate Pritam Limboo, and later produced to Jalpaiguri court for transit remand.

Meantime, around 15 GJM supporters, including GJM trade union leader Sumir Tirua was also arrested last night in Darjeeling, police sources said.

Today another GTA member of St. Mary’s, Tung, Anuj Thapa was arrested from Kurseong taking the total number of arrests to 185.

Superintendent of Police Kunal Agarwal said that another five companies of the CRPF would be arriving in Darjeeling from Assam to bolster the five companies already there.

(Courtesy: Sikkim Express)