Clash hearing on April 18

Siliguri, April 12: The additional chief judicial magistrate’s court here today ordered that the next hearing of the 51 Left supporters, who were arrested following an alleged clash with Trinamul activists, would be on April 18. The CPM workers were arrested on Wednesday night and 49 of them (two person were hospitalised) were produced in court yesterday. Later, five women activists were granted bail and the remaining 44 were remanded in jail custody. “Today, all the 51… were supposed to appear before the court. Those on bail did not appear but the remaining 46 (including the two who were in hospital), appeared,” said Sudip Roy Basunia, the assistant public prosecutor. “Madhumita Basu, the ACJM, observed that all of them should be present during the hearing on April 18. All cases related to the issue were transferred to the detective department of Siliguri metropolitan police commissionerate yesterday,” he added. Today, police produced a case diary that the court had asked for. But it would be submitted on April 18. The 46 accused, including former MP and district Citu secretary Saman Pathak, district SFI secretary Sourav Das, senior SMC councillor Dilip Singh and others, would be in jail custody till then. Four cases, three filed by Trinamul and one by the police, have been filed in connection with the clash. A section of Left leaders today expressed disappointment at the absence and silence of district secretariat members and SMC councillors Mukul Sengupta and Nurul Islam. Islam is also the leader of opposition at the SMC. “It is disappointing that none of these leaders were seen at the police station or in the court. Despite the arrest of leaders like Asok Bhattacharya and Jibesh Sarkar, they stayed away,” said a senior CPM leader. “Gautam Deb, the north Bengal development minister and Trinamul leader, has introduced a new and ominous trend to deter us from political activities. Under his instructions police are arresting our colleagues and implicating them in false cases. Such cases have been registered against senior leaders in Naxalbari, Khoribari, Phansidewa, Bagdogra, Matigara, Dabgram and Fulbari,” CPM leader Asok Bhattacharya said. “This strategy to weaken the Left would not work and he will have to answer to the people of Siliguri,” he added.