First arrests since possession of chemical fertilizers was made a criminal offence in Sikkim

VISHNU NEOPANEY

On Wednesday evening, 09 Sept, Sikkim Police made the first arrests under the Sikkim Agricultural, Horticultural Input and Livestock Feed Regulatory Act of 2014 which made the import, sale and use of chemical fertilizers a criminal offence in Sikkim when it came into effect in November last year.
Superintendent of Police, South, Tashi Wangyal, confirmed that the Melli Check Post personnel intercepted a vehicle [bearing registration number SK02D/0559] which was carrying 10 bags of Urea [50 kg each] and 10 bags of DAP [Diammoniun Phosphate] into Sikkim from Siliguri, West Bengal. The vehicle was heading towards Sombaria. Both chemicals are banned in Sikkim in pursuance of its Organic State aspirations.

One arrested for harassing public servants

GANGTOK, 20 Sept: One person has been arrested by the Pakyong police for disturbing and obstructing public servants from discharging their duties on 19 September. The accused, Nokul Gurung of Parkha, Pakyong, had allegedly harassed personnel at the BDO office on 16, 17 and 19 September. He also allegedly threatened officers and vandalized the office of the Assistant Engineer there.
He was arrested by the Pakyong police and a case under section 353/506 [assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty and punishment for criminal intimidation-if threat be to cause death or grievious hurt] of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against him at the Pakyong Police Station.

One arrested for alleged assault on public servant

GANGTOK, 16 Sept: A 20 year old resident of 5th Mile, Lumsey was arrested by the Sadar police on 14 September for allegedly assaulting a public servant.
The complaint of Chung Chung Bhutia of Beat-III [Lall Bazaar] states that one person was found smoking at the Lall bazaar Taxi Stand and the duty personnel asked him not to smoke in a public place. This enraged the accused who got agitated and manhandled and assaulted the complainant.
Accordingly, the duty personnel produced the individual at the Police Station. He has been arrested and a case under section 353 [assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty] of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against him at the Sadar Police Station.

One arrested on charges of outraging a woman’s modesty

GANGTOK, 16 Sept: A case of outraging a woman’s modesty has been registered at the Melli Police Station on 14 September against Chongklay Sharma alias Umesh Sharma [26], resident of upper Ramabong. The complaint states that the accused entered the house of the victim and outraged her modesty using criminal force.
The accused has been arrested and a case under section 447/354 [punishment for criminal trespass and assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty] of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against him at the Melli Police Station.

Arrested EIILM Univ officials make bail

GANGTOK, 07 May: EIILM University, Sikkim, Vice-Chancellor, Dr. OB Vijayan, Registrar, Col [redt] Alok Bhandari and Examination Controller, Bijay Dahaia were released on surety bail bond by the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court at Gangtok today.
The CJM, after hearing the state and defending counsels at length, released the EIILM University administrators on bail. The Sikkim Police, following an FIR lodged at Sadar Police Station here, had arrested the trio from Jorethang on Monday for charges framed under Sections 467/ 468/ 471/ 167/ 181/ 120B of the IPC. This in connection with alleged violation of University norms after a lady from Haryana was allegedly awarded an M.Ed degree even though no such course is offered at EIILM University here.
Senior Counsel of the EIILM University, KT Bhutia, along with Bandana Pradhan and Nisha Agrawal argued that the police have arrested the accused persons without proper investigation of the case and that their arrest was premature at the present stage and hence they be released on bail.

EIILM Univ top brass arrested on charges of forgery and criminal breach of trust

GANGTOK, 06 May: Senior Eastern Institute for Integrated Learning in Management [EIILM] University officials were arrested by Sikkim Police today from Jorethang in South Sikkim in connection with a case registered at Sadar Police Station here. A police team led by SDPO [Rangpo], DSP L Palmu Chettri took the EIILM University Vice-Chancellor, Dr OB Vijayan, Registrar, Col [retd] Alok Bhandari and Examination Controller, Bijay Dahaia, into custody from Jorethang today.
The team was on its way back to Gangtok at the time of going to print.
Speaking to NOW! over the phone, Superintendent of Police [East], Manoj Tiwari, confirmed the arrests and the registering of a case against them at Sadar Police Station here.
It is informed that a lady, Mandip Kaur, of Karnal in Haryana got a teaching job based on an M.Ed. certificate purportedly issued by the University and that the Principal of her school sought details through an RTI application from the District Collector [East] on her MA [Education] certificate from the university. It is further learnt that enquiry by the ADC [East] revealed that university neither has any Education Department nor any faculty for the subject. That being the scenario, a case was filed at the Sadar Police Station leading to the arrests today.
The SP informed that trio have been booked under sections 467 [Forgery of valuable security, will, etc], 468 [Forgery for purpose of cheating], 471 [Using as genuine a forged document167], 181 [False statement on oath or affirmation to public servant or person authorized to administer an oath or affirmation] and 120 B Punishment of criminal conspiracy] of Indian Penal Code.
More details on the case should emerge as the case is processed and more evidence shared. Meanwhile, it may be recalled that EIILM University here has been under the police scanner since September last year on charges similar to the latest one. Its offices in Jorethang were subjected to a police raid on 01 Sept 2012 and its officials, arrested today in connection with a case registered at the Sadar Thana here, were presently out on bail in connection with a similar registered against them at Jorethang Police Station. Even in that case, the management of EIILM University was charged on various counts including criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy. Even then, the University was accused of doling out false degrees and certificates and offering courses for which it had neither the required infrastructure nor the required permissions.

Two arrested in possession of brown sugar

GANGTOK, 23 Jan: The Jorethang police has arrested two youth on charges of being in possession and consumption of brown sugar. The two accused, Nitesh Tamang, 24 and Sabin Pradhan, 23, both of Majhigaon, Jorethang have been booked under the National Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
Credible information with the police had led them to raid the residence of the above mentioned accused on 22 January. A search of the premises landed the police with several small packets of brown sugar and associated paraphernalia for its consumption.
About 10 small packets of suspected brown sugar, weighing 320 mg each were found in a cigarette pack. Also recovered was a cigarette pack with 5 cigarette sticks, a folded Rs.20 note containing residue of ashes, an iron pipe used for smoking, a Bhutanese coin having residue of ashes and a match box with silver foil used for consumption of the substance. All materials recovered were sealed for chemical analysis.

3 booked under SADA

GANGTOK, 21 Jan: The Sadar police arrested three persons on charges of possession of contraband substances yesterday. Two of the accused are history-sheeters one of whom, Rajiv Sewa, has been convicted for the same offence thrice in the past. He was convicted under the National Drugs & Psychotropic Substance Act in 2005, then again under Sikkim Anti-Drugs Act in 2009 and 2011.
On 20 January at around 1 PM, the Sadar Thana received information that two persons were peddling drugs at Hospital Point here. A police team soon apprehended the two - Rajiv Sewa, 32, of Bojoghari and Suren Pariyar, 32, of Lower Sichey, Gangtok.
From their possession, 1,460 tablets of Spasmo Proxyvon and another 42 tablets of N10 were recovered. Further, the police also found Rs. 9,530 in cash in their possession which they are suspected to have made through sale of the substances. Follow-up investigation by the police then led to the arrest of another of their alleged accomplices, Prashant Subba, 28 of Kalimpong, presently residing in Gangtok. All three have been booked under the SAD Act.
Earlier in November 2011 Prashant had also been arrested under section 387, IPC which pertains to extortion. The case is under trial.

Bail hearing for 13 arrested in Rhenock rioting set for 17 Jan

ALTO INVOLVED IN RIOTING INCIDENT SEIZED; ANOTHER 14 ACCUSED STILL ABSCONDING
GANGTOK, 15 Jan: The bail hearing for the 13 accused in the rioting and ransacking of the Rhenock police station on 11 January has been set for 17 January. Supporters of dissident SDF MLA, PS Tamang [Golay], along with their legal counsel had arrived at the District & Sessions court, Gangtok, this morning to seek bail for the accused persons presently in judicial custody.
It is informed that the bail application was submitted today at the court and the hearing set for 17 January.
Meanwhile there have been no more arrests but the police on 14 January seized a private Alto vehicle from Rangpo which, according to them, was involved in the Rhenock incident. The driver, however, claims that he was not involved and that the vehicle was being used by someone else.
It is informed that the police, quite obviously, are objecting to the bail application and are seeking the surrender of all the accused persons involved in the rioting which took place at Rhenock bazaar on 11 January. In the same vein Golay supporters contend that it is the job of the police to arrest accused persons and that application for bail is a different matter. On the other hand Janak Chettri, the driver of KB Chamling in whose vehicle the police found the 228 supposedly defamatory booklets has been released on bail.
It is now learnt that among the accused who have been named in the FIR at the Rhenock police station are also Neema Theeng and MK Subba. In fact there are close to 30 people named in the FIR and among them are Sonam Lachungpa, Phuchung Bhutia, DB Chettri, V Khatiwara, NR Pradhan, Santosh Pradhan, Pravin Subba, Dawa Tamang and KT Adhikari.
As per the SP East, Dr. MS Tuli, all these accused are presently absconding; the police have been searching for them but they are not available in their respective residences.
Apart from sections of the Indian Penal Code covering rioting having been imposed against them along with damage to public property etc they also stand accused of criminal conspiracy. The police has been on the lookout for them for the past few days; in the process nakabandhi has also been done in Ranipool and other places by the police with the help of IRB personnel in their search of what they call ‘anti social’ elements.
In the meantime the 13 arrested so far for rioting are still at the State Jail at Rongeyk and among them are Bishal Tamang, 29; Ajay Rai, 23; Jitu Gurung, 26; Mahendra Subba, 30; Bikash Limboo, 30; JB Basnett, 47; KN Sharma, 23; Laxmi Niroula, 38; YT Lepcha, 45; Bikash Limboo, 18; KT Bhutia, 45; Sandeep Gurung, 21 and K Manger, 26.

Woman booked under SADA

GANGTOK, 09 Jan: Singtam police have arrested one woman found to be in possession of contraband substances on 08 January.
Sunita Chettri [22], alias Nanu, of Lall Bazaar, Singtam was taken to the Singtam Police Station at around 11.30 AM by the bazaar patrolling duty policemen, when they suspected her to be in possession of contraband substances.
A search at the police station revealed her to be in possession of 03 files [03x24=72] of Spasmo Proxyvon and another 126 loose Spasmo Proxyvon capsules which were concealed in side her money purse.
The accused was arrested and a case under section 9 (B) 11 & 14 of SADA has been registered against her at the Singtam Police Station.

All four accused of raping minor near Pakyong taken into custody

GANGTOK, 02 Jan: All four accused in the rape of a 14-year-old minor at Bharlang near Pakyong in East Sikkim on 28 December are now under custody, confirmed Pakyong Police Station PI Mahindra Subba.
After the immediate arrest of the two accused in the crime, 26-year-old Purney Kami and 29-year-old Nar Bahadur Kami on 29 December, Police apprehended the 14-year-old juvenile involved in the crime early on the morning of 31 December from Takchang basti while another absconding, Man Bahadur Kami, 24, was apprehended by Pakyong police from his residence at Kit Golai, Pacheykhani near Pakyong at 4 PM the same day.
“Police had already deployed sources and plainclothes men to make quick arrests of all the accused. Police had information about the residence of Man Bahadur and had gone there before the arrest was made and spoken to the family members including his wife regarding the grievousness of the crime. When the accused returned home on 31 December, the family members informed the police and the police made the arrest immediately,” stated the PI.
It is informed that, Man Bahadur Kami is said to have stated that he had gone to Siliguri to find the 14-year-old juvenile [allegedly involved in the crime] to clear his name in the incident and once he returned home, his family insisted that he surrender before the police instead of evading police if he was not involved in the crime as reported.
“The family members were told about the crime and the severity of the case which is when they started to cooperate with the police and also managed to convince the absconding Man Bahadur Kami to surrender. He is in police remand for five days and is being interrogated, angles related to his involvement in the crime is being investigated,” informs the SHO.
The 14-year-old juvenile in the meantime is informed to have been produced before the Principal Magistrate, Juvenile Justice Board the same day he was arrested and was remanded to the Juvenile Observation Home at Sichey, Gangtok.
The other two accused have in the meanwhile been sent to judicial custody [on 29 and 30 December].
“The investigation is on the right track and the chargesheet will be submitted shortly. At present, there are some samples that have been sent for testing to Kolkata which will arrive after which the charge-sheet will be filed. The police will leave no stone unturned in the investigation and the guilty will be punished as per the law,” stated PI Subba.

Police foil kidnapping bid, accused under custody

GANGTOK, 26 Dec: A kidnapping has been reported from Jorethang where a 5-year-old girl was kidnapped by a woman from her home. Quick action by the Jorethang police ensured that the child was located and returned to her guardians. The accused has been placed under arrest.
As per reports the accused has been identified as 27-year-old Aarti Subba of Daramdin. On the night of 21 December, she is reported to have approached the house of Phurba Tshering Tamang of Chisopani, Jorethang, seeking shelter for the night.
Phurba Tamang, who was not familiar with the woman, agreed and let her stay in his house for the night, police records suggest. The following morning on the pretext of buying toothpaste she went out and took the 5-year-old daughter of the house along with her. However, she did not return thereafter.
Later, Phurba Tamang approached the police who during their search operation traced the woman to Jorethang bazaar. The woman has been arrested and is being forwarded to judicial custody.

7 arrested for alleged assault

GANGTOK, 06 Dec: The Jorethang police arrested 7 youth on 03 December following a complaint of assault lodged against them.
According to reports a group of around 10 people assaulted two workers namely, Deo Kumar Chettri and Vikram Dhural on the evening of 02 December. All arrested are residents of Manpur.
The victims are workers of Vicky Saha of Manpur and one of them, Vikram had to be admitted to the Namchi hospital. The accused have been booked for rioting and assault.

Two teens arrested on charges of sexual assault

GANGTOK, 21 Nov: A 13-year-old has been taken into by the Gyalshing police for allegedly raping two minor girls aged 5 and 9 years in two separate incidents in West Sikkim. The accused is reportedly a resident of 5th mile, Malbasey, Gyalshing.
The first complaint was lodged by the father of the 5-year-old victim reporting that the accused assaulted his daughter at around 11 AM on 20 November. The victim is reportedly in a serious condition and has been referred to STNM hospital, Gangtok.
The second complaint is actually for what now appears to be juvenile’s first crime – a sexual assault which took place a few days before the incident reported above. This relates to the sexual assault by the 13-year-old on a 9-year-old girl.
This came to light after the mother of the victim was informed about it by a neighbor and later the girl related the harrowing experience. She too was sent for medical examination.
In another incident of sexual assault, a 19-year-old boy has been arrested by the police for having sexually assaulted a 69-year-old woman. In fact here, too, the boy is accused to having sexually assaulted the woman twice in her house. A case has been registered at the Namchi police station.
The aged victim was assaulted by the teen for the second time at around 2 a.m. on the night of 20 November. The accused, a resident of the same area, reportedly broke into the victim’s house knowing she was alone. As per the complainant this was the second incident as she had been assaulted by the same person earlier too.

Mobile phone trail leads Singtam police to gold cache

GANGTOK, 20 Nov: The arrest of a suspected mobile phone thief by the Singtam police led to the recovery of a small cache of gold jewelry and the solving of another burglary. When the Singtam police, acting on source information, searched the house of Jiwan Rai at Bardang, East Sikkim, they only expected to recover a mobile phone reportedly stolen from the house of Rajesh Pradhan of Lall Bazaar, Singtam.
The phone reportedly belonged to his son.
Not only was the mobile phone recovered, in course of the search the police recovered gold coins, gold earrings, gold nose ring, a green gemstone, a silver statue of Lord Ganesh, 2 pieces of moti, 2 laptops, 3 more mobile phones, an ipod, coins worth Rs. 1,065 and a cash amount of Rs. 6,400.
All the items were seized on suspicion of being stolen goods. Soon enough this was proved right when information came in that the same had been stolen from a house in Baghey Khola, Rangpo. A couple of days ago the Rangpo police had received a complaint from Dhan Bahadur Subba of Baghey khola wherein he had stated that the above mentioned items had been stolen from his house along with cash amount of Rs. 18,200.
The Singtam police have arrested Jiwan Rai, 23 and his suspected accomplice, Debabrata Roy, 20 of North Dinajpur, West Bengal.

South District police arrest 11 Golay supporters in connection with Phalidara incident

GANGTOK, 07 Nov: With the panchayat elections out of the way now, the South district police acted upon the complaint filed by Dinesh Pradhan against Golay supporters and arrested 11 persons on 06 November. They were released on bail today.
Namchi police arrested 11 out of 13 accused in the act of vandalism targeting the house and parked vehicles of ex-panchayat, Dinesh Pradhan at Phalidara on the evening of 31 October soon after PS Golay had addressed a gathering at Namthang. In the vandalism, which included stone pelting, the children of Dinesh Pradhan had also reportedly suffered minor injuries.
The Namhang meeting itself was held amid high tension and fears of a flare-up with the shops in the area downing their shutters.
However the meeting passed of peacefully. It was only later when the motorcades were returning that a flare-up occurred at Phalidara, near Maniram Bhanjhyang. Dinesh Pradhan had named 13 Golay supporters in his FIR.
The arrested are namely, Khogen Rai [40] of Jorethang; Bandan Tamang [32] of Jorethang; Dhaman Rai [33] of Jorethang; Tashi Dorjee Tamang [41] of Sallabuy; Chitra Chettri [33] of Chisopani; Wangchuk Bhutia [45] of Namchi; Bishal Rai [31] of Denchung; Sitaman Rai [42] of Rong; Phurten Lepcha [41] of Denchung; Phemba Sharma [35] of Nandigoan and Prayash Chettri [27] of Chisopani. They were released on bail on the order of the district courts, South and West.  
Meanwhile, the Golay supporters released on bail, while speaking to NOW! claimed that the entire incident was pre planned by the SDF party. They alleged that some named by Dinesh Pradhan to be involved in the incident were not even present at the time and further condemned the allegations leveled against them.

Woman booked under SADA for third time

GANGTOK, 03 Nov: Meena Sherpa was once again arrested by the Singtam police on charges of possession of contraband possession, namely drugs. The woman has already served two jail terms for the same offence and probably is a living example of the motif, ‘old habits die hard’.
On 01 November she was again arrested by the police and found in possession of 134 capsules of Spasmo Proxyvon; these were recovered after a raid was conducted in her house by the police. She has been booked under the SAD Act.
The woman had earlier been arrested in July 2007 and then again in March 2010.

Five Golay supporters arrested in connection with Phalidara vandalism

NAMCHI, 01 Nov: Five supporters of the dissident SDF MLA, PS Tamang [Golay] were arrested today by Namchi Police on charges of vandalising the house and parked vehicles of former Panchayat, Dinesh Pradhan at Lower Phalidara, South Sikkim.
On an FIR filed by the former Panchayat, the police had registered a case against 13 Golay supporters [named in the complaint] under sections 147/ 148/ 149/ 427/ 452/ 506 of the IPC. They are accused of being part of the group which attacked Mr Pradhan’s house at Lower Phalidara. This was late last evening, at around 6:15 PM when the group was returning from the panchayat campaign meeting at Namthang. The mob, it is alleged, threw bottles and stones which damaged the house and two parked vehicles [belonging to Ratan Pradhan and Kumar Pradhan].
While speaking to NOW!, Dinesh Pradhan said that he was at home watching TV when the vehicles carrying Golay supporters stopped in front of his house and the people started pelting stones and bottles at his house. He claimed that some members of the mob also entered his house.
“We had never been involved in such an incident and with such acts by supporters of PS Golay the entire family is feeling insecure,” said Mr Pradhan and added that his son also got injured in the incident.
Today, SDF Youth Convener and also MLA Namchi Singithang, Binod Rai, South District party President Gagan Rai, Chairman Girish Chandra Rai and other party workers and supporters visited Mr Pradhan’s house where they alleged that it was a pre-planned attack. They further alleged that Golay supporters are spreading terror in the state, while the SDF government has always advocated and maintained peace and security.
Out of thirteen accused, the five who were arrested today are Milan Rai, Samuel Lepcha, N.D.Tamang, Indra Lall Sharma and Sonam Lepcha. They were subsequently released on bail by the District Court Namchi.

Three Bangladesh nationals arrested for illegally entering Sikkim

GANGTOK, 17 Oct: The Sadar police has taken three Bangladeshi nationals into custody for having entered Sikkim without valid documents and allegedly on “dubious purposes”. While one of the accused was apprehended near the taxi-stand outside the Police headquarters the other two were picked up at Rangpo as they were trying to leave.
It is learnt that the police had gone to ‘examine’ them at the hotel they had checked into at MG Marg here. However by the time the police arrived all three had ‘fled’, leaving most of their belongings behind.
It is informed that they had checked into the hotel on 15 October at around 7:30 PM and booked two rooms. The very next day, the police moved in but they had already absconded. A massive manhunt was then launched and messages flashed to all police stations and checkposts. Confiscated from their hotel rooms were 2 laptops, an ipod, flashdrives, phones and modems.
Not only have the three been booked under the Foreigners Act but also charged under section 420 of the IPC. It is informed that the three managed to get into Sikkim through the Rangpo checkpost with the help of the PAN card of one of the Bangladeshis, Md. Atik Rahman.
It is further informed that the section 420 IPC of cheating has been invoked as the three pretended to be Indians and the PAN card had also been fraudulently obtained.
None of the three have valid documents or Inner Line Permits which is required by any foreign national to enter Sikkim. As per the orders of the central government, foreigners cannot enter or stay in restricted areas without obtaining permits.
Sources inform that the three had initially given false addresses but broke down under interrogation and revealed their original addresses. Sources claim that while Md Islam is from Mohammadpur in Dhaka, Md Atik Rahman from village Charadi in district Barisal and Mir Ali is from village Badra police station Shakira in Bangladesh.

Chinese recommend amiable monitoring instead of paranoid patrolling

CHINESE AUTHORITIES SHUT DOWN BORDER TRADE IN RESPONSE TO ARREST
GANGTOK, 12 Oct: Chinese authorities are viewing the arrest of one of their citizens by the Sikkim police rather seriously. In retaliation to the arrest the Chinese have shut down the border trade till further notice. They are also underlining that border trade is as much about dealing in goods as it is about allowing some basic courtesies to replace border paranoia. In this regard, they have invited the Indian authorities to consider how their counterparts in Tibet Autonomous Region attended to traders from Sikkim who had lost their way inside Tibet and proceeded beyond the trade mart. While they would have definitely been accused of ‘infiltration’ by ITBP and taken into custody, in TAR they were provided tea and snacks and escorted back to the border.
In Sikkim by contrast, a trader from Tibet was taken into custody on Wednesday and booked on charges of espionage for having taken photographs with his mobile phone even after being told not to by ITBP personnel.
In fact, so much umbrage has been taken that the Chinese Trade Officer, [known to traders here as Li Peng], reportedly came up to the Nathula border and demanded the release of the Chinese national, Langki Jiancen immediately by the Indian agencies. The Chinese Trade Officer is normally stationed at Rinchenquanng, the trade mart on the Tibetan side of the border.
She also reportedly reminded the Indian agencies of how the Chinese police had let go of two Sikkimese a few days ago after they had crossed well into the Tibetan Autonomous Region. As per reports two youth from West Sikkim had gone across to China after acquiring a trade pass and had missed Rinchenquanng and had reached another small town on the other side.
The Chinese police there had immediately apprehended them and after questioning let them go that day itself. They had even arranged for tea and snacks for the ‘runaways’.
The Chinese Trade Officer reminded the Indian agencies of this and demanded the release of the Chinese national as a quid pro quo. Till he is released, as the Chinese Trade Officer has stated, the gates of Nathula will remain shut.
On the other hand here the relatives of Langki, who has been charged for espionage under the Official Secrets Act, are preparing to approach the court for bail.