Gorka leader murder: CID files chargesheet

Darjeeling (West Bengal): A little over a 100 days after Gorkha leader Madan Tamang was murdered in West Bengal's Darjeeling hills, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Monday filed chargesheet in a court of law naming 30 accused, even as prime suspect Nicole Tamang is absconding.

Public Prosecutor Govind Chettri said the 519-page chargesheet was filed at the Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court here naming 30 accused, including two women-Babita Ganguly and Biva Sona Sherpa.

The chargesheet, filed at the bench of justice S P Rajak, however, has not named any top ranking leader of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) though an FIR had accused party president Bimal Gurung and general secretary Roshan Giri in the May 21 daylight murder.

Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) president Madan Tamang was hacked to death near the Mall here.

ABGL's general secretary Laxman Pradhan filed an FIR the following day naming ten senior GJM leders as suspects in the murder of the 63-year-old leader.

On August 16, the Darjeelng Police arrested the prime accused, GJM's central committee member Nicole Tamang and by the court order had handed him over to the CID. The 47-year-old suspect, however,
fled from CID custody from Pintail village in Siliguri on August 22.

He was supposed to be produced in the court on Monday.

The CID told the court that Nicole fled from their custody and has been evading arrest.

The chargesheet was filed by CID investigating officer Ardhendu Sekhar Pahari.

Meanwhile, the GJM has withdrawn their shutdown in view of a tripartite meeting on Sept 7.

On Aug 21, the GJM called a shutdown in three hill-sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong, demanding production of Nickol Tamang.