Gangtok: Following the vicious attack on Joint Action Council general secretary Keshav Sapkota, Sikkim Police have detained three people: Jullet Subba, Prakash Pradhan, and Bidhan Shankar. They have been booked under various sections of the IPC.
Speaking with the media following the incident, Gangtok Superintendent of Police Tenzing Loden Lepcha assured: “Every person seen in the video will be detained.”
He said, “Around 11:30 am there was a verbal altercation between two parties, which eventually turned into a physical altercation in which two persons sustained injuries. The nature of the injuries is yet to be ascertained. However we have registered two cases, one came from JAC and the other from victim Ajay Tamang. One case is against JAC and one case is by JAC. Both the injured have been taken for medical assistance to Singtam District Hospital, they have been referred to Central Referral Hospital for further medical assistance. The police tried to separate the two groups as well as provide security to the injured. ADC Gangtok was at the spot and subsequently, section 144 was imposed. We dispersed the entire crowd both JAC and another group….police rushed to the spot, trying to separate the two groups. It is for the public to judge the work we carried out.”
On identifying ‘the other group’ that attack JAC general secretary, Gangtok SP shared, “The other section came with tags of a blood donation camp happening in Singtam town, they must be members of taxi drivers association, so we will identify them and do the legal enquiries. The medical camp was given permission in late March, which would happen for three days in April. When JAC assembled initially we had told them the rally is not legal, you have been provided legal permission in Gangtok. We were in the process of announcing that, but before the rally could start, people were assembling and the incident happened.”
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On not granting permission to JAC in Singtam, Tenzing Loden Lepcha shared, “JAC wanted to conduct a rally in Singtam today, but we had given permission from Amdo Golai to District Administration Centre in Gangtok, but they insisted on conducting a rally in Singtam. To ensure there was no untoward incident, we deployed enough forces. Prior to the protest rally, we had assessed that Singtam, being a congested market, had only one venue for such a gathering. In the absence of gaining permission for that venue from JAC, we knew they would face problems concerning traffic and pedestrian, hence we decided to give permission in Gangtok. But then they still chose to do it from Singtam. As a back up we deployed enough force in Singtam, with Gangtok DC and other officials in attendance at Singtam to ensure no mishap happens. But the incident happened and we have registered a case, we are in the process of identifying the person behind the attack and arresting them.”
On the CrPC144 section in Singtam, the Sikkim Police official informed it to be till ‘further orders, depending upon the situation’.
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