Arrested GMM's GLP Cadres trained under NSCN (KK) group

SANKHA GHOSH, SNS, SILIGURI, 7 NOVEMBER: A section of the Gorkhaland Personnel (GLP), a volunteer force of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) had received arms training from Northeast militant outfit, National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khole-Kitovi) - NSCN (KK), officials have revealed.

CID officials have said they have got some important leads as they interrogated three GLP cadres, who were arrested last week for their alleged involvement in the killing of police sub-inspector Amitabha Malik.

The CID arrested Shyam Kami, Mahindra Kami and Dewaj Lepcha, all residents of Alipurduar district, on 31 October. According to CID officials, at least 14 GLP cadres underwent a training programme under the breakaway faction of the NSCN (Khaplang) somewhere in the Northeast in 2014.

"The trio was at the armed camp of Bimal Gurung when police raided it at Barnesbeg in Darjeeling. They, however, managed to give the police a slip during the raid then. We are trying to see if they were among the cadres who under went the training under the NSCN (KK), a senior CID officer said. "We have come to know that at least 14 GLP cadres were trained by the terror group in the North-east. We are trying to find out if all those cadres are still with Bimal Gurung, the officer added.

The state government and the police have been repeatedly claiming that GJMM chief Bimal Gurung and some of his close aides have links with Northeast-based militant groups and Nepal Maoists. However, the name of any specific outfit had not come up so far.

NSCN(KK) chairman Khole Konyak and general secretary N Kitovi Zhimomi were earlier part of the NSCN (Khaplang) group.

The GJMM's Northeast connection first came up after a vehicle was intercepted by the Assam police in Chirang district of the state in November 2014, and arrested two persons- Umesh Kami, a suspected GLP cadre and Ganesh Chhetri, a resident of Assam,with a huge cache of arms and ammunition.

Investigations later revealed that the vehicle they were in was headed for Darjeeling and that they had procured the consignment from a militant outfit.

The CID had filed a case at the Rungli Rungliot police station in Darjeeling in connection with the arms haul and had names Sanjay Thulung, a former Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) member of the Tukdah-Glenburn constituency, along with some other persons,

Sources at the investigating agency said he had provided Rs 13.30 lakh to the outfit for the arms training of GLP cadres with an intention to launch an armed agitation in Darjeeling.

Mr Thulung fled and is absconding, while the party later expelled him. He, however, surfaced in Darjeeling during the recent Gorkhaland agitation in August and had said there would be no compromise with the demand of Gorkhaland.