Darjeeling court strike to continue

Darjeeling, April 2: The Darjeeling Bar Association today decided to carry on with the indefinite cease-work to protest the state government’s move to relocate the special CBI court to Siliguri.

The lawyers also vowed to press for the establishment of all offices that the hill town should have as the district headquarters.

The strike that started on March 20 has hit the functioning of the district and session judge’s court, three additional district and session judge’s courts, civil judge (senior division)’s court, chief judicial magistrate’s court and a judicial magistrate’s court.

The CBI court had been functioning in Darjeeling till 2006.

The decision to continue with the agitation was taken at a meeting here. Although the strike was launched to protest the relocation of the CBI court, the focus gradually shifted to the perceived issue of Darjeeling losing out in importance as the district headquarters to Siliguri.

“The government has laid the foundation for the CBI court in Siliguri (on Saturday) without bothering to address our grievances. We feel Darjeeling is losing its status as the district headquarters. At today’s meeting, we decided to demand that all offices that should be located in the district headquarters but are functioning from Siliguri be shifted to Darjeeling. We will also continue with the indefinite cease-work,” said bar association president Taranga Pandit.