Police suspect Nepal Maoists' hand in Darjeeling blasts

Darjeeling, Aug 25: The West Bengal Police suspects the involvement of Nepalese Maoists in the recent blasts in the state’s northern hills, a senior officer said here on Friday.

“We suspect the involvement of Nepal Maoists in the explosions. At the same time we are also looking into the links of the militant groups active in Northeast India with the blasts,” said Additiol Director General of Police Siddhith Gupta. According to Gupta, in the past also there were allegations of links between these groups and the principal party in the hills, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. “So we can’t rule out this angle,” he said.

The hills, on the boil for over two months after the GJM revived its demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland, witnessed multiple high intensity explosions since last Saturday that took the life of a civic volunteer and left two other security personnel injured. Meanwhile, GJM youth leader Paldem Bhutia was arrested on Thursday night in connection with the recent torching of Pedong outpost of Kalimpong police station. Six others were arrested earlier in the incident.

However, the GJM rubbished the police’s allegations about its leaders’ involvement in the blasts and the party’s links with militant groups in the Northeast. “Those who want to derail the Gorkhaland movement are making such accusations,” said Binoy Tamang, GJM Joint Secretary.

Normal life has been paralysed in the hills since June 12 due to an indefinite shutdown called by the GJM, severely impacting the region’s economy based on tea, tourism and timber. (IANS)