Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung and its general secretary Roshan Giri have been named in an FIR filed by the police in connection with the murder of Gorkha leader Madan Tamang.
Charges of conspiracy have been brought against the two besides Gurung's wife Asha, the chief of Gorkha Nari Mukti Morcha, the outfit's press and publicity secretary Harka Bahadur Chettri, vice-president Amar Lama and GJM police wing GLP's 'commandant' Ramesh Aley in the FIR filed at the Darjeeling police station, Inspector General (North Bengal) K L Tamta said on Sunday.
The inspector general of police said seven others were named in the FIR. He did not name them. The police had on Saturday said that 45 people have been arrested in connection with the murder of All India Gorkha League president Tamang, even as a search is on to trace GJM youth leader Dinesh Gurung, who is the alleged mastermind of the killing.
The IG said the police have seized a mobile phone from the spot, which was a vital clue as it purportedly contained the recording of the voice of a top GJM leader just before the stabbing of Tamang.
Bimal Gurung has demanded an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation into Tamang's killing, GJM assistant general secretary Benoy Tamang said.
Gurung said that the police had declared that the GJM was involved in the killing even before conducting an investigation and therefore a CBI inquiry was needed to establish the truth. Denying the GJM's involvement in Tamang's killing, he said that the leadership had seen the video footage of the murder, which revealed that 'outsiders' were involved.
He alleged that the slain Gorkha leader had brought a number of youths from Nepal to 'create trouble', which led to the clash with supporters of the AIGL on Friday.
Meanwhile, for the first time in the hills, an apolitical candle light march was taken out by residents of Darjeeling to condemn the murder. The marchers also placed candles at the spot where Tamang was killed.
