Case reopens, CID visits Sibchu

Jalpaiguri, June 28: The Mamata Banerjee government has reopened the investigation into the February 8 Sibchu police firing that killed three Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters with two senior officers from the CID visiting the forest village today.

Police sources said after the firing, the Morcha had demanded an inquiry into the incident by the CBI. But the erstwhile Left Front government had ordered a one-man probe by the divisional commissioner of Jalpaiguri.

Today, special superintendent of the CID Debashis Boral and another officer arrived at Sibchu on the edge of the Dooars around 9am and inspected the spot where the firing had taken place. Later they sat at the Sibchu forest beat office, 65km from Jalpaiguri, where they questioned several eyewitnesses to the firing.

On February 8, a few thousand Morcha supporters led by party president Bimal Gurung were on their way from Kumani in Kalimpong towards Khunia More to stamp their claim on the Dooars, which they wanted to be part of the new state they had been demanding.

The marchers were at first stopped by a police barricade at Sibchu. But after they tried to force their way in and attacked the security forces, including a lady constable, the police opened fire.

Two women, Bimla Rai and Nita Khawas, were killed on the spot in the firing, while Vicky Lama, a Morcha youth, died of bullet injuries at the Kalimpong subdivisional hospital.

According to sources present at today’s meeting, eyewitnesses told the CID that the police had fired indiscriminately at the crowd and from a very close range.

“We have come here to investigate into the firing at the behest of the new government. We have spoken to some eyewitnesses today and we will be staying on for a few more days. We will visit the houses of the victims and those who were injured in the next few days. We have also gone around the spot today and we will have another inspection at a later date,” Boral said.

He, however, did not say how long it would take to complete the investigation. “We will carry out the investigation and submit the report to our superiors,” he said.

The Independent MLA from Kalchini, Wilson Chompromari, who was among the marchers and was arrested after the firing, today said, like the Morcha, he too, wanted the immediate arrest of those policemen responsible for the firing.

“We want the CID to carry out an impartial probe and book the culprits as soon as possible,” Wilson, who had been backed by the Morcha during the Assembly election, said.

telegraphindia