AIGL steps up pressure on CBI; Madan Tamang widow threatens fast

Darjeeling (WB), June 11

Bharati Tamang, the widow of slain All-India Gorkha League (AIGL) leader Madan Tamang, has threatened to go on an indefinite fast to press for immediate arrest of the 23 Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders against whom a city court in Kolkata issued an arrest warrant.

Bharati Tamang made the threat on Tuesday but till date no follow-up action has been initiated after the issuing of arrest warrant, AIGL General Secretary Pratap Khati said today.

“No stay order has been issued as yet against the warrant of arrest. So why is the CBI delaying?” he wondered and gave the apex probe agency a 24-hr deadline to initiate the arrest.

“The court has directed the execution of the warrant of arrest. We do not know why the CBI is delaying in making the arrest. Since there are no other options with us, I have decided to go on fast onto death,” Khatin quoted Bharati Tamang as saying.

The AIGL has also written to the CBI director and joint director to apprise them about the delay and gave the agency 24-hour time failing which the fast will begin.

“We have written to the central agency director demanding the accused be arrested as soon as possible. We will give the CBI 24 hours’ time after they receive our letter that we posted today. After that there will be the fast unto death,” Khati said.

The AIGL leader also demanded seizure of passports of the 23 GJM leaders.

“Today we have also written to the passport office in Kolkata asking them to seize the passports of all the accused GJM leaders. There is always the possibility that they (accused) may try to elude the arrest,” Khati said.

Earlier, after the court issued the warrant of arrest, the AIGL leadership had expressed its gratitude to the CBI for filing the chargesheet against the top rung GJM leaders in the murder case.

On June 6, a city court in Kolkata issued warrants of arrest against GJM President Bimal Gurung, his wife Asha, party MLA Harka Bahadur Chettri and 20 others in connection with the murder of Madan Tamang.

Acting Chief Judge Gopal Karmakar of City Sessions Court issued the warrants on a prayer by CBI which is investigating the murder of Madan Tamang in Darjeeling town on May 21, 2010.

The court directed the investigating agency to file a report on execution of the order on June 26.

CBI had on May 29 filed a charge sheet against the GJM leaders levelling charges of murder and criminal conspiracy for the killing of Tamang.

Tamang had been hacked to death in Darjeeling town when he was overseeing preparations for a public meeting. — PTI