GJM member held for Gorkha league chief’s murder

DARJEELING - Nicol Tamang, a central committee member of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), was arrested in this West Bengal hill town for the murder of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) president Madan Tamang May 21, police said Monday.

Inspector General of Police (Criminal Investigation Department) Niraj Narayan Pandey said: “Nicol Tamang, a central committee member of GJM and one of the prime accused in the Madan Tamang case, was arrested from Pool Bazar area in Darjeeling Sunday night.”

“Nicol was presented in the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Darjeeling and we will appeal for his police remand for 14 days,” said Pandey.

Nicol is known to be a close associate of GJM president Bimal Gurung.

Darjeeling district Superintendent of Police D.P. Singh said: “A total of 10 people have been arrested so far in the case.”

Police sources said Nicol had been hiding in Nepal to evade arrest.

“He was one of the prime accused in the case, as his name featured in the list of 10 GJM leaders and supporters against whom First Information Report (FIR) was lodged by the ABGL leaders. His name also featured in the list of 11 people against whom look out notices were issued,” the source said.

A police officer said a mobile phone recovered from the spot where Madan Tamang was killed was of Nicol. On verifying the call details, it was revealed that Nicol was one of the masterminds of the attack on Madan Tamang.

Nicol had made several phone calls to senior GJM leaders and an instruction for the attack was also passed by him, said the police officer.