Golay supporters released on bail, 5 SDF supporters arrested

NAMTHANG RAMPAGE UPDATE

NAMCHI, 16 Oct: The 29 supporters of Upper Burtuk MLA, PS Tamang [Golay], who were arrested by the police on Sunday night and early Monday morning in connection with the violence which tore through Namthang in South Sikkim on Sunday night, were released on bail today. Meanwhile, five Sikkim Democratic Front party workers were also taken into custody last night in connection with the same case and remain under police custody at the thana here.
The incident in question is the violent clash between SDF and Golay supporters at Namthang late on Sunday night which left many injured, five vehicles vandalised and shops damaged in the South district town. Both sides have accused the other of regressing to violence and both have filed FIRs against each other [leading to arrests from both sides].
Supporters of the dissident MLA began arriving here since early morning and the situation remained tense throughout the day despite the Section 144 imposed here yesterday. The DC South, AK Singh and SP South, Manoj Tiwari conducted a Flag March at Central Park Namchi today as well along with IRBn and police personnel. No untoward incident transpired.
With the Golay supporters booked, arrested and released on bail, the focus turned on their FIR against SDF leaders and supporters.
A South district police team began picking up the SDF supporters named in counter-FIR and at the time of filing this report, five had been taken into custody, with one, Prahlad Gurung, admitted at the Central Referral Hospital in Gangtok receiving treatment for the grievous injuries sustained by him in the Namthang clash.
Among the SDF party workers behind bars at the thana here in connection with incident are Kharka Bahadur Subba, Chandra Bir Tamang, Subash Rai and Subash Tamang, all from Namthang.
When contacted, the SP informed that the search was underway for others named in the FIR as well. The mass arrest of Golay supporters was possible, sources inform, because they were rounded up in an exercise launched immediately after the incident and picked up as they were travelling in groups to Gangtok.
The Golay supporters are demanding the arrest of former Minister GM Gurung, whom they have accused of having led the SDF party workers to the fight. This, even as Mr. Gurung and other SDF leaders have accused the dissident MLA of having led the Namthang rampage himself and named him among the main instigators in their FIR. In earlier statements, the Golay camp had also accused the area MLA, Buildings & Housing Minister Tilu Gurung of having led the attack, but today, no demands were made for action against her, the focus concentrated on the former Minister instead.
Meanwhile, those being booked in connection with the incident are being charged under 147/ 148/ 149/ 447/ 427/ 323/ 506 of the IPC along with Section 25 of Arms Act 1959.