3 Govt employees among mob accused of attacking Minister's vehicle in Singling

JEEVAN GURUNG, ACCUSED OF MURDEROUS ASSAULT ON LOCAL RESIDENT WHICH SPARKED VIOLENCE, RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL AND TAKEN INTO POLICE CUSTODY
GANGTOK: DIG [Range], N Sridhar Rao, speaking to the media on the Singling incident, informed that as per the FIR lodged by Indra Kumar Gurung, the driver of the Roads & Bridges Minister, at the Soreng Police Station, eight persons from Singling and another five who are yet to be identified, but are believed to hail from Teesta, West Bengal, have been named in connection with the attack on the Minister’s vehicle last Friday. Meanwhile, the youth injured in the attack which sparked the mob retaliation is reportedly in a critical condition in Siliguri, while the SDF youth convenor of the area, who is alleged to have attacked the youth, has been taken into police custody and taken to Soreng police station on police remand, the DIG informed.
Meanwhile, the eight named for the attack on the Minister’s vehicle, booked under section 147, 148, 149, 323 and 427 of the Indian Penal Code and under Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage of Public Properties Act, are Bikash Singh Tamang, Gauri Maya Tamang, Geeta Chettri, Priman Tamang, Dawa Tamang, Phurba Tamang, Suk Raj Subba and Pratap Tamang.

“Of these eight, three are government employees and the antecedents of the rest are being verified and investigation is underway. Arrests will follow very shortly,” the DIG added.
“Members opposed to the ruling party and protesting the Singling incident had taken out a procession yesterday and wanted to proceed to town, but the timely intervention of the DC [West] and IGP [Law & Order], who were present at the spot, stopped them from doing so and asked them instead to form a smaller delegation with whom they held a meeting,” Mr. Rao informs.
Meanwhile, the written complaint filed by Dhan Bahadur Tamang [father of Rajen Tamang, the injured youth] has demanded that the accused, Jeevan Gurung, be arrested [which has already happened] and that the Minister, RB Subba [also the area MLA], be questioned about the incident.
The accused Jeevan Gurung, who was under treatment at the Central Referral Hospital, was released from the hospital today, following which he was taken under arrest and transported to Soreng PS. He is under four days Police Remand.
The DIG also informed that the statements of the two sisters of the victim - Deep Kala Tamang and Jai Kala Tamang - were recorded in front of the Magistrate in Gyalshing today.
“Since there are multiple versions to the story and different claims on what actually instigated the incident, we are trying to ascertain all possible angles,” he added.
When asked whether the Minister too would be questioned or his alleged involvement investigated, the DIG informed that the Minister will be “examined” in the course of the investigation as required by law.
As of now, the situation at Singling is reported to be stable and one platoon of Sikkim Armed Police has been stationed there with regular patrolling by police personnel.