In a big blow to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leadership during the peak of Gorkhaland movement, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday took serious note of their absence from the jurisdictional area of Kolkata Police as mandated by the Supreme Court in the Madan Tamang murder case.
The court rapped the Central Bureau of Investigation, which was investigating the case, for failing to ensure the presence of the GJM leadership including its chief Bimal Gurung his wife Asha and others a day ahead of the framing of charges in the lower court.
Directing that the hearing on the framing of charges should be completed by August 17, Chief Justice Nishita Mahtre and Justice Tapabrata Chakrabarty wondered whether hearing on framing of charges could be done in the absence of the accused.
Apart from Gurung and his wife another 19 Morcha leaders had been named in the chargesheet. The court was hearing a PIl and other petitions jointly seeking restoration of normal life in restive Darjeeling, when it was told by a petitioner that Gurung and other accused were not complying with an earlier order which put conditions for granting of anticipatory bail to them.