JALPAIGURI 26 SEPTEMBER: Heralding the bail hearing of Chhatray Subba and his co-accuseds, Jalpaiguri Criminal Court heard the eyewitness report of former Darjeeling Superintendent Sanjay Chander on the ‘Saat Ghoomtee’ attack on former chairman of Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, Subash Ghisingh. The case is presently being pleaded at the Court of Judge Purnendu Chakraborty. Chhatray Subba, the main accused in the case had been arrested after the attack on Subash Ghisingh and charged with attempted murder, criminal conspiracy and possession of arms, among others. Chhatray Subba is the President of Gorkha Liberation Organisation, a splinter group of Gorkha National Liberation Front. He was arrested on March 24, 2001, from Indo-Nepal border. [Inset: Chhatray Subba being transported to the Court. Photo by Himalaya Darpan]
Manoj Dewan, another eyewitness were to be heard by the Judge but even though Dewan was present at the Court, he could not be heard. The rest of the eight eyewitnesses will be heard between 16 to 18 December.
Darjeeling’s former Superintendent Sanjay Chander is presently DIG (Deputy Inspectory General) – Personnel, Central Industrial Security Force. The security at Jalpaiguri Court had been tightened for DIG Sanjay Chander to be heard by the Judge. DIG Chander in his eyewitness report said, “Chhatray Subba had created a militant group by using the services of militants from Nagaland. He had made a training camp at a forests of Tin Katre in Dooars Terai to train his militants in armed combat. Chhatray Subba then lead an attack on Subash Ghisingh with an intent to kill.”
He further added, “The attack was orchestrated on the 10 of February 2001, at Saat Ghoomtee. In this attack Subash Ghisingh was wounded. Three of his security officers were also wounded.”
Defence Lawyer, Vidyut Ghosh however, refuted DIG Chander’s statements by saying that they were all concocted and not a fact. He further added that there were no links to the Tin Katre situated Training Camp to this case. Another Defence Lawyer, Akhil Biswas said that petitions for the bail of Chhatray Subba, Saran Dewan, Gunje Lama had been made to the Court. The Court had initiated hearings based on the same petition.