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.

Melli MLA Challenge Cup

GANGTOK, 11 Aug: UDHD Minister, NK Subba attended the 16th day of the 68th Independence Day Celebrations cum MLA Challenge Cup, Melli today as the chief guest. Minister for Water Security, PHE & SJE&WD, Tulshi D. Rai was also present as special guest.
On the day, the semifinal match between Melli Gumpa Secondary School and Sadam Senior Secondary School was played which the former won by 2-0, informs a press release.
The occasion featured numerous cultural presentations from various schools. Minister NK Subba was also felicitated for his various contributions towards the state and the society, the release adds.
Later both the Ministers visited the ongoing projects and upcoming worksites at Melli Bazaar South Sikkim. During the visit Minister UD&HD expressed his happiness over the cleanliness at Melli Bazaar premises.
Mr Subba visited the ongoing projects like  Melli Bazaar play ground and gallery construction, parking and shopping complex, Sewerage treatment plant, proposed site for the walk way at Melli Bazaar along the Teesta river, food court and shopping complex area, etc. In his visit he instructed all the departmental officials not to compromise on quality in all the works. He also assured to fulfill all the demands placed by the gram panchayats.

5th MLA Challenge Cup Melli Constituency

GANGTOK, 08 Aug: The quarter final matches of the 5th MLA Challenge Cup, Melli Constituency were played today at Melli Gumpa Secondary school playground.
As per a press release, in the first match in the men's category, Melli Gumpa Secondary school defeated Turuk FC 5-1 while in the second match of the same category, Rabitar FC beat Golden Strikers [Sumbuk] in a tie breaker with a score of 4-3.
In U-14 boys' category, Begani Primary School defeated Sadam Sr. Sec. School by 2-1 while in the women's category, Kerabari JHS defeated Turuk Girls by 1-0.
The chief guests for the day were DB Basnett and BK Thapa while Prahlad Gurung was the guest of honour, the release adds.

16 feared killed in tragic road mishap near Teesta

NAMCHI, 20 Jan: A tragic road mishap near Teesta under Kalimpong sub-division of West Bengal on the night of 18 January is feared to have claimed 16 lives. Dead bodies of only eight of those feared killed in the accident have been recovered thus far. The only survivors of the mishap are the five who escaped with injuries. The ill-fated vehicle was staggering overloaded with 21 people on board against the prescribed limit of 11 including the driver.
The accident has cast a pall of gloom over the South district border town on Namchi. 15 of the passengers claimed by the accident were from Melli, most of them from two families, including one of the driver’s.
The vehicle [a Tata Spacio taxi], it is learnt, was ferrying 21 passengers from the Triveni Mela at the Teesta-Rangeet confluence on the West Bengal side and was heading back to Melli via Teesta. Six of passengers on board were from Teesta, West Bengal.
Barely a kilometre out of the mela venue towards Teesta, the overloaded vehicle lost control veering off the road and plunged into the Teesta at around 8 PM.
On learning about the accident, a Melli Police team headed by PI Bijoy Subba along with the local rescue team reached the spot and with the help of locals and the rafters from Teesta launched a rescue operation. Six bodies were recovered by the rescue team on Saturday while two more bodies were recovered from near Kalijhora, West Bengal. Eight are still missing and the search operation is underway for the missing passengers.
The PI informed that the accident could have been caused by the vehicle’s overload and speeding. The ill fated vehicle was taken out from the river yesterday while the recovered bodies were handed over to their respective families. A number of Ministers and MLAs of the Sikkim Government also visited the spot yesterday and met the families of the victims.

Ambulance falls into Rangeet, claims one

GANGTOK, 17 July: An accident on 14 July, involving an ambulance claimed the life of one person. The ambulance, a Tata Sumo [SK-04P-2217], of the NHPC Rangeet Nagar, fell off the road into the Rangeet taking with it the driver and two other passengers. The driver, LB Chettri, is reported to have succumbed to his injuries. 
The accident took place at Champa, about four and a half kilometers from the Melli police station. The ambulance was returning from Siliguri to Rangeet Nagar when it met with accident at around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday evening. The vehicle, it is learnt fell down around 80 feet and landed in the river. The Melli Police Station was informed in time and a team led by SI Kessang Bhutia and cincluding Constables Chogyal Lepcha, Santa Kumar Rai and Aita Hang Subba and Home Guards Bir Bahadur Rai and Yog Bahadur Gurung rushed to the spot and mounted the rescue effort.
When they reached the spot, the three occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, were still inside the ambulance which itself was in the Rangeet.
All the three victims were rushed to the Melli PHC for treatment. One of the passengers, Amit Pandey, was referred on to Siliguri for treatment while B. Pandey received first aid for the minor injuries sustained. Unfortunately the driver, LB Chettri, succumbed to his injuries at the PHC at around 6:50 PM the same day. All three were NHPC employees stationed at Rangeet Nagar.

Two groups clash in Kubindey, both file FIRs

NAMCHI, 05 July: Two groups clashed at Kubindey basti neat Melli in South Sikkim on the evening of 04 July, following which both groups filed FIRs at the Melli Police Station against each other. The case remains under investigation and no arrests have been made thus far even as whispers have begun that this was a ‘political’ clash between SDF and dissident MLA PS Tamang supporters.
The clash is reported to have taken place at around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday evening near Kubindey School, Melli.
An FIR was filed by Lila Chandra Pradhan of Mellidara against Suraj Rai, Urgen Tamang and Buddha Tamang alleging that they were found creating nuisance using abusive language in the area the school.
Ms. Pradhan claims that she and two others tried to convince them not to sober down but were instead attacked with a ‘khukuri’ as a result of which she sustained injuries. Ms. Pradhan was taken  the Melli PHC where she received first aid and a case registered based on her complaint.
On the other hand, an FIR was also lodged by Suraj Rai, also known as ‘Motey’ of Kubindey basti, against Damber Chettri, Nar Bahadur Pradhan, Bijay Tamang, Dinesh Pradhan, Sujit Tamang, Tshering Tamang and Lila Chandra Pradhan alleging that on 04 July at around 6 PM Rai was attacked at Kubindey by the above mentioned persons with rods/rolls and khukuri and so, sustained injuries.
He was also sent for medical examination and his complaint registered as well
No arrests have been made so far.
SP [South] Manoj Tiwari informs that efforts are being made to haul in all involved in the clash. He further informed that regular patrolling and picketing have been put in place all over the district to prevent such incidents from recurring.

Alleged assault on cop

GANGTOK, 15 June: A case of assault has been registered against one Palden Lepcha [28] of Kaluk in West Sikkim at the Melli Police Station on 14 June.
According to a written FIR by ASI Tek Bahadur Pradhan of SB, Melli on duty at Melli Check Post, on 14 June at around 4 PM, the accused assaulted him with fists and blows.
Accordingly the accused was arrested and the victim was taken for medical examination. 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 Melli Police Station and the case is under investigation.

Seven feared killed in NH 31A road mishap

NAMCHI, 14 June: Seven persons are feared dead in a road mishap reported on NH 31A late last night. The accident, involving a Mahindra Maxx [SK-04J-0452], occurred near Nam Khola [between Kirena and Tar Khola], a short distance ahead of West Bengal Melli towards Rangpo on NH 31A between 11 to 11:30 a.m. last night. Only one passenger survived the mishap when was thrown off the hurtling vehicle before it plunged into the Teesta. It was only after a disoriented and bloody Kiran Subba climbed his way back to the road and was recognised by a passenger in a passing car that people came to know of the accident. He has sustained grievous injuries and is currently under treatment in Siliguri.
While what caused the accident is not known thus far, the vehicle plunged around 150 feet off the road into the Teesta. The terrain does not lend itself well to search and rescue efforts and this is borne out by the fact that although news of the accident spread within hours, none of the bodies of the people feared killed in the mishap have been traced thus far. As for the vehicle, parts of it, it is informed, were spotted about 3 kms downstream from where the vehicle went off the road last night.
The vehicle was proceeding from Kitam in South Sikkim to Gangtok, it is learnt. The late travel was necessitated when Suman Subba [one of the passengers killed in the mishap] learned that his mother, Dhan Kumari Subba, undergoing treatment at the Central Referral Hospital in Gangtok had passed away. The group was rushing to Gangtok to bring back the dead body.
Those feared killed in the mishap are: Durga Mani Pradhan (30), the owner and driver of the vehicle; Amardeep Subba (26), Suman Subba (17), Mohan Subba (18), Umesh Subba (25), Sujal Subba (16) and Bikash Subba (21). All of them hailed from Kitam. It was further informed that except Durga Mani Pradhan and Amardeep Subba, all the rest were related.
The search operations, jointly undertaken by West Bengal Police and Sikkim Police along with the relatives and the local people, continued throughout the day today but remained fruitless because no traces of those feared killed could be found.
This was the second fatal road mishap reported yesterday. In an accident reported earlier in the day from Gyalshing in West Sikkim, a 59 year old woman was killed and eight others injured when a passenger jeep plying from Gyalshing to Lungchok skidded off the road and plunged down 70 feet at Sakyong.

Husband accused of stabbing wife

GANGTOK, 22 May: 27 year old Bhim Bahadur Chettri has been taken into custody on charges of having allegedly stabbed his wife with a Khukuri on Monday night. The incident took place when Ganga Maya Chettri was returning home from work. She has sustained multiple stab wounds and cut injuries.
The neighbours rushed the wife to the Melli PHC from where she was referred to the district hospital at Namchi. It is now being contended that she was frequently subjected to domestic abuse by her husband. A case has been registered at the Melli Police Station against the accused under section 498-A and 307 [husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty and attempt to murder] of the Indian Penal Code. The case is under investigation.

One killed at Sikkim Breweries construction site

GANGTOK, 26 April: A case of causing death by negligence has been registered against the management of Sikkim Breweries Pvt Ltd of Paiyong, Melli at the Melli Police Station on 25 April.
According to a FIR lodged by Dhan Bahadur Karki of Upper Suntaley on 25 April at around 9.00 A.M. his son Sunil Karki [20] was working at the construction site, suddenly a mud slide occurred and he was buried under it. Immediately he was taken out by the workers and evacuated to Melli PHC, where he succumbed to his injuries.
A case under section 304 ‘A’ [causing death by negligence] has been registered at the Melli Police Station and the case is under investigation.

Road mishap on NH 31A near Melli claims 5 lives

SANJAY AGARWAL
RANGPO, 16 April: Five people were killed and another five critically injured when taxi vehicle [SK 01 J-0578] skidded off the road and crashed into the gorge at Lapchey Jhora on National Highway 31A near Melli under Kalimpong Police Station in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal today at around 3:35 pm. The vehicle is reported to have been travelling to Gangtok from Darjeeling. All the injured persons were administered first-aid at Melli PHC and referred on to nursing homes in Kalimpong and Siliguri it is learnt.

Truckers jam NH 31A at Melli-Laberbotey CP to protest undue harassment

NAMCHI, 21 March: Tired of what they see as undue harassment of transport vehicles from Sikkim by officers of the Commercial Tax Department, Government of West Bengal, at the Melli-Labarbotey Check Post on NH 31A in West Bengal, the truck drivers associations of Sikkim and Teesta jammed the highway for six hours today as they gathered at the Melli Laberbotey Check Post demanding an end to their harassment.
Speaking with this correspondent, the ex-vice president of the All Sikkim Truck Drivers Association, Deepak Gurung, argued that while these check-posts have been established monitor transport operations and to avoid unnecessary delays and harassments, the Commercial Tax Department officers there doing the opposite and subjecting transport operators from Sikkim to undue harassment.
Alleging that bribes were routinely demanded at this check-post and refusal to do so resulted in excessive checks and scrutiny due to which despite having “clean” documents and chalans, the vehicles were held up and delayed.
Members of the organisation further alleged that at other times, the officers there also seized the vehicle documents, driving licenses and even the keys of the vehicles until the penalties were paid up. Such seizures, they argued were not authorized by law. “We used to give some amount in order to avoid harassment and delay to reach to our destinations in time,” they added.
They also alleged that the officers also routinely held up vehicles which had not paid up their monthly “dues”.
When contacted, with Deputy Commissioner, Sonam Sherpa, condemned the allegations and countered that he and his officers were only performing their duty at the check-post.
He stated that they carried regular checking and errant vehicles were be fined according to the rules of the Commercial Tax Department of West Bengal. He also explained that the documents and keys were seized to ensure that the drivers did not flee till the checking was completed.
Meanwhile, the Janmukthi Himalayan Rajmarg Drivers Association president, Uttam Rai, informed that the concerned officers had given a written assurance that the check post personnel will no longer seize the documents and keys of vehicles and will also try to avoid such disputes in the future. This, after a six hour long discussion between association members, truck drivers and the officers of the department. It was only after this that the jam finally opened.

Vehicle pelted with stones near Melli

GANGTOK, 05 Mar: The Melli police have registered a case of wrongful restraint and mischief causing damage against unknown persons for allegedly pelting stones at a vehicle returning from the SDF day celebrations at Jorethang on Saturday.
The incident is reported to have taken place at around 4:30 PM on 04 March when the vehicle, driven by Mahadev Darjee was returning from Jorethang towards Melli near Champa. A stone chip is reported to have hit its windshield and damaged it. The police later examined the spot and collected the stone chip and pieces of glass. No one has been arrested so far.

Three detained on suspicion of smuggling antiques

GANGTOK, 14 Feb: Three persons claiming to be monks have been detained by the Melli check post police on suspicion of smuggling antiques out of the state this evening at around 7 PM.
Sources inform that the personnel at the check post grew suspicious of the trio when they produced ID cards introducing them as belonging to a monastery in South Sikkim. The ID cards looked ‘dodgy’ especially since this is not normal practice. When their luggage was checked, suspected antiques were found in their possession.
The alleged monks claimed to be heading towards Bodhgaya and they have been detained for further investigation. That, the three are monks and the objects found in their possession are antiques being smuggled outside the state will only be confirmed after further investigation, it is informed.

Peddler uses 12 year old to mule drugs

GANGTOK, 13 Dec: A new aspect of the villainy of those dealing in the already immoral peddling of substance of abuse came to light yesterday when a drug bust at Melli check-post revealed that peddlers were no using minors as ‘mules’ to smuggle contraband into Sikkim.

High Court finds 4 South officials in ‘clear and serious’ contempt, chastises them

GANGTOK, 05 Dec: The Sikkim High Court has disposed contempt proceedings initiated against four officials of the South District – the DM, SDM [Namchi], SDPO [Jorethang] and OC Melli Police Station - in the case concerning the sealing of the house of Nuk Tshering Bhutia, also known as “Melli Sonam”. The proceedings were disposed of after the DM [South] opened the sealed property. The Court did however note that a “clear and serious” case of contempt had been committed by the officials.

Melli Sonam challenges eviction in High Court

GANGTOK, 05 Dec: Even as the dust has barely settled over the proven illegal action and subsequent contempt of court by the four officials of South District, including the DM, in sealing Nuk Tshering Bhutia’s house in Melli, Mr. Bhutia has already approached the High Court of Sikkim with a petition challenging the eviction order issued by the DM South on 11 October, 2011. By this order, “Melli Sonam”, as Mr. Bhutia is more popularly known, had been directed to evict his residential building on the Melli-Jorethang road at Melli as it was claimed by the authorities to have been constructed on Forest land.

DM South issues fresh orders, seal on Melli Sonam’s house to be opened

NAMCHI, 01 Dec: The District Magistrate [South], AK Singh, today issued fresh orders directing that the house of Nuk Tshering Bhutia, known as “Melli Sonam”, at Melli, sealed on his directions recently, be reopened. When contacted, the DM confirmed the development, and explained that the new directive was in accordance with the  order of the appellate authority passed yesterday.

High Court ‘anguished’ over ‘ambushing of citizen’s rights’

COURT BEGINS CONTEMPT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST 4 SOUTH DIST OFFICIALS IN MELLI HOUSE SEALING CASE
GANGTOK, 22 Nov: The High Court of Sikkim today allowed the DM [South] along with three other south district officials a week’s time to file their replies to the affidavit filed by Nuk Tshering Bhutia, also known as “Melli Sonam”, but not before making known its strong displeasure over the manner in which the petitioner’s house had been sealed on the orders of the South District Magistrate.

First Convocation programmes at Livelihood Schools for Melli and Namthang

GANGTOK, 21 Nov: The first convocation, the certificate graduation programme, of Melli Livelihood School was held on 19 Nov and the convocation of the first batch of students at Namthang Livelihood School [Electrical trade] a day earlier.
The Namthang event had the BDO [Namthang], Robin Sewa, as chief guest, accompanied by Deputy Director, Estate Management, SICB, Bipula Dhakal and other invited guests.