Gurung and 2 others get bail

Siliguri, July 19: Bimal Gurung and two other leaders of the Morcha were granted bail by a court in Jalpaiguri today.

The chief executive of the GTA Sabha appeared at the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Jalpaiguri today along with party colleagues Ramesh Alley and Saraswati Pradhan. Gurung, who was earlier given interim bail, got his bail confirmed by the court today.

“Earlier, the district and sessions court of Jalpaiguri had granted anticipatory bails for Bimal Gurung and two others. They were instructed by the court to appear at the CJM court within seven days,” Santa Chatterjee, the assistant public prosecutor, said.

“Accordingly, they appeared in court today and were granted bail on personal bond,” he said.

The three Morcha leaders got bail against personal bonds of Rs 1,000 and Rs 4,000, a court source said.

According to a court source, the Morcha president and his colleagues were named in two cases. The first case was registered at Malbazar police station in Jalpaiguri district in 2009 after Morcha workers clashed with a section of local residents and police after they tried to march into the Dooars where prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC were imposed.

The second case was registered in 2011, after police and Morcha workers clashed at Sibchu.

Gurung spoke in a relieved tone before leaving the court premises.

“We are happy with the court’s order of granting us bail,” he said.