Seven youths arrested by police on 13th June’08 in connection with ethnic violence a day earlier in Siliguri plains of Darjeeling district, were garlanded by an army of local residents when they were released on bail at the Siliguri sub-divisional court in spite of the police slapping ‘attempt to murder charges’ on these youths. About 500 peoples including supporters of ‘Jana Jagaran’ (an apolitical forum), ‘Amara Bangali’ and CPM’s youth front DYFI-all opposed to Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM)- gathered on the court premises demanding the release of the seven.
A battery of lawyers appearing for the youths free of cost, argued before the court that people armed with stones and sticks could not be charged with attempt to murder u/s 307 of the IPC. Acting chief judicial magistrate R.N.Makal granted them bail against a bond of Rs.1000/- each and directed them to appear before the OC of Pradhannagar police station once every week.
This release order sparked jubilations outside the court and as the seven youths appeared from the court lock up at 3.20PM, they were garlanded and taken around Siliguri town on motorbikes by more than a hundred youths chanting anti-GJM. Slogans. An ‘Amra Bangali’ activist Khusiranjan Mondol retorted that if police can arrest the seven, why they did not arrest the (Nepali) rioters of Bhanunagar who threw stones at our (Bengali) people at Ganesh Ghose Colony.
As a fallout of the tussle between GJM and the people of Siliguri plains, some 350 hill students studying in the plains complained of harassment by local population and were sent back home to hills by the help from administration. Still 50 students were shifted to Pintali village in the outskirts of Siliguri falling in the Hill Council area. However normalcy was returning fast in the plains of Siliguri town as well as Doors and 40 trucks loaded with food grains and essential items left for three sub-divisions of hills on 13th & 14th June.