Darjeeling: Four police personnel injured in fresh violence

DARJEELING: The violence erupted again in Darjeeling on Sunday on the 25th day of pro-Gorkhaland stir, with agitators setting aflame a police camp, injuring four police personnel and attacking a BDO office at Pokribong. The GJM activists also took out a rally at Chowkbazar with the bodies of Suraj Sundas and Sameer Subba who were allegedly killed in police firing. The GNLF also took out a procession at Sonada with the body of Tashi Bhutia who too was allegedly killed in police firing. The protesters also attacked the Sonada police station and torched a part of it in what was second such attack in two days. The Sonada police station was attacked yesterday too, by protesters. A police booth was also set ablaze in Darjeeling by the protesters. In the afternoon a huge mob attacked a BDO office and a police camp at Pokribong and set it on fire as several police personnel were also beaten up. Meanwhile, the all-party meeting of the hill parties, which was scheduled to take place on July 18, has been advanced to July 11. Darjeeling burst back into the political agenda on Saturday after GJM has claimed that four persons were killed in alleged police firing triggered clashes and arson and prompted the recall of the army. While the protesters accused the police of firing without provocation, an officer said stones had been thrown at a police patrol around 11 last night, triggering a clash. The police said the mob attacked the outpost first. Shamim and Darjeeling superintendent of police Akhilesh Chaturvedi rushed to Sonada with reinforcements and spoke to the protesters to pacify them. In Darjeeling, a huge crowd had gathered at the Motor Stand when the convoy carrying Bhutia's body arrived around 11.30am on Saturday. The police were almost entirely stationed at Sadar police station, 150 metres away around a bend. A section of the crowd hurled stones at the police, leading to clashes that continued till around 5pm on Saturday. Police sources said the force had shown restraint in spite of "continual attacks on Sadar police station". "Stones and bottles were showered on us, and we had to resort to tear gas and non-lethal weapons." The army hit the streets around 2.30pm on a requisition from the administration. Tamang, the Morcha leader, demanded President's rule. The Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee, formed by multiple hill parties to lead the statehood movement, held an emergency meeting in Kalimpong and demanded a judicial inquiry into the deaths. It sought the Centre's immediate intervention to control the situation and "provide justice to Gorkhas by fulfilling the demand for Gorkhaland". Kalyan Dewan, coordinator of the committee, said the panel would write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Rajnath Singh and Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi. He said the situation could turn into a "human catastrophe".