Darjeeling Court sends GTA Sabhasad to 14-day judicial custody

Darjeeling : Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court sent Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Sabhasad Kaziman Lohagun, to fourteen days judicial custody, rejecting his bail plea. Lohagun, a GTA Sabhasad from the Pul-Bijenbari-Goke constituency was arrested from his Kerabari residence on June 27, for his alleged involvement in the Jamuney land dispute. He is accused of allegedly supplying weapons to six accused involved in threatening the owner of a disputed land in Jamuney. Police recovered an improvised gun, khukuri and a rod from the six arrested people. According to police, Lohagun was arrested on the basis of the statement given by the six accused. The GTA Sabhasad was sent to five days police remand after he was produced in the CJM court earlier. Pankaj Prasad, the assistant public prosecutor said, “Police recovered a round of live cartridge from Lohagun’s house yesterday night”. “During interrogation, the six accused who are presently in police remand, had informed the Sabhasad could have more weapons. 

On the basis of the statement, police raided Lohagun’s house and recovered the ammunition,” he informed. Lohagun has been booked under section 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. The Sabhasad, who is himself from the schedule caste community, has also been booked under section 25 (i) and 27 of the Arms Act. Defense lawyer, Taranga Pandit said, “Police found a live cartridge from the bedroom of Lohagun’s house on Monday night”. On the CJM rejecting the bail plea, Pandit said, “We had moved his (Lohagun’s) bail on the basis that the SC and ST Atrocities Act, as it would not apply to him because he too belonged from the SC community. 

However, Lohagun was unable to produce relevant documents to support his claim, due to which his bail was rejected." He further said his client has been directed to appear before the court on July 14 for the next hearing. Reacting to the Sabhasad’s arrest, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) had issued a forty-right hours ultimatum on June 28, to the district administration and the state government for Lohagun’s release, failing which the party had threatened to start a peaceful and democratic agitation. The GTA Sabha had also passed a resolution on June 28, saying a delegation would be going to Delhi to meet the union home minister, condemning the arrest.