Darjeeling, June 27: The GTA Sabha
member of Pulbazar-Bijanbari, Kaziman Lohagun, was arrested today on
charges of supplying weapons to six persons who had allegedly threatened
a farmer who refused to part with his land for a tourism project at Jamuni.
The early morning arrest of the
61-year-old GTA member has prompted the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha to serve
an ultimatum on the administration for Lohagun’s “unconditional” release
by Sunday evening.
The party said the
arrest was politically motivated and if the GTA member was not
released by Sunday evening, there would be a “democratic and peaceful
agitation”.
The acting chief
judicial magistrate of Darjeeling, Rafique Alam, remanded Lohagun in
police custody for five days, which essentially means that Lohagun
cannot be released by Sunday evening. Lohagun will be produced in court
again on Tuesday.
Akhilesh Kumar
Chaturvedi, the superintendent of police, Darjeeling, said: “He
(Lohagun) was arrested as his name cropped up during our investigation.”
The GTA chief
executive, Bimal Gurung, is also an accused in the case. Manilal Tamang,
whose family members own land at Jamuni, complained to the police on
June 17 that six men armed with rods and sharp weapons had threatened
him. Manilal also alleged that the six had threatened him under Gurung’s
instructions.
Asked if Lohagun’s name figured in the complaint, Chaturvedi replied in the negative.
The six are currently under judicial custody and will be produced in court in July.
In April, nine
landowners had complained to the Darjeeling district magistrate, saying
the GTA had forcibly occupied their 13 acres in 2011 to develop a
tourist spot but it had not paid them compensation. Jamuni, about 20km
from here, is a favourite haunt of Gurung. Of the 13 acres, Manilal’s
family has eight acres. The disputed land falls under the GTA
constituency represented by Lohagun.
Pankaj Prasad, assistant public prosecutor, said: “After the arrest of the six persons, an improvised gun, a khukuri and
a rod had been recovered by police. During interrogation, the six said
Lohagun had delivered the weapons to them. The six accused have said
there are more weapons and the police have taken Lohagun on remand to
recover them.”
Lohagun has been
booked under Sections 447 (criminal trespass), 506 (criminal
intimidation) 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intent) of the
IPC, along with Section 3 (IV, V, X and XV) of the Prevention of
Atrocities on Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes Act. Lohagun has also
been booked under Section 25 (i) and Section 27 of the Arms Act.
Soon after word of
Lohagun’s arrest spread, most of the shops in Bijanbari-Pulbazar downed
shutters throughout today. Binay Tamang, assistant secretary of the
Morcha, however, said the party had not called a strike in the area.
The Morcha today held an emergency meeting of the office-bearers in Darjeeling.
“Fake cases, which
are politically motivated, have been lodged against Lohagun. Apart
from being a senior citizen, he is also a diabetic. We condemn the
arrest and demand his unconditional release by Sunday evening, failing
which the party will be forced to start a democratic and peaceful
agitation,” said Tamang.
The arrest threatens to vitiate the relatively peaceful atmosphere in the Darjeeling hills at present.
Tamang said the GTA Sabha would hold an emergency meeting at 2pm tomorrow to discuss the issue.
“Lohagun is not a land mafioso. Manilal Tamang, who filed a police complaint, does not even own land at Jamuni,” said Tamang.(TT)