Gorkhaland stir: FIR against GJM chief Bimal Gurung over IED blast in Darjeeling
The GJM chief and other leaders have been booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
In Short
- FIR against GJM chief Bimal Gurung after IED blast in Darjeeling.
- Gurung and other leaders have been booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
- No injuries have been reported following the blast on Friday.
Just days after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh appealed to all stakeholders to kickstart a dialogue process to end the Gorkhaland impasse, fresh violence has broken out in the Darjeeling hills.
Following the incident, police booked Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) chief Bimal Gurung along with leaders Prakash Gurung, Praveen Subba and others. An FIR was filed at the Darjeeling Sadar Police Station.
The GJM chief and other leaders have been booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
On Friday, a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) party office was set ablaze in Lebong. In a similar incident, a state forest department office and bungalow was also set on fire in Badham Tam area.
Incidentally, residents in the hill town woke up to a loud explosion late on Friday night.
According to the police, a suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off near the old supermarket area damaging a few shops. However, no one has been injured in the incident.
Police have cordoned off the site of the explosion this morning and forensic teams have been sent to ascertain the nature of blast. The blast was said to be of a very high intensity.
"Our team reached there, and we are now inquiring about the incident. We think an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was used and we have received some technical inputs," said Darjeeling Police Superintendent Akhilesh Chaturvedi.
Incidentally, soon after the blast the GJM condemned it by terming it a well planned conspiracy to tarnish the Gorkhaland movement.
"We demand an impartial investigation by a high level enquiry committee. This is a conspiracy to tarnish the GJM leadership and disturb peace and law and order in the hills," a GJM statement said.
Meanwhile, it's been two months since the state government decided to suspend mobile internet services in the hills on June 19.
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