One arrested in 2017 police SI murder case

DARJEELING, : One person was arrested in the police officer Amitava Malik murder case on Saturday in which Gorkha Janmukti Morchachief Bimal Gurung had recently been granted bail.

“The Darjeeling police today arrested Ayush Rai with a warrant pendingagainst him in the murder case of police officer Amitava Malik. Thecharge sheet had been filed against him in the year 2017 itself withhim absconding since then. Rai was produced to court today with hisbail plea rejected. He was sent to 14 days judicial custody afterwhich he will have to be produced to court again,” said DarjeelingAPP Pankaj Prasad.

The case of Malik dates back to the year 2017 when an agitation wasgoing on over the issue of Gorkhaland under Gurung's leadership.Gurung along with others were in hiding with police searching forthem.

On October 13 that year there was an exchange of fire betweena police team in pursuit of Gurung and his men in the Shirubari forestarea on the banks of Chota Rangeet River, around 25 km from Darjeeling.SI Malik had died on the spot allegedly from bullet injuries fired byGurung's associates.

A suo-moto FIR was lodged by the police at theDarjeeling on Sadar Police Station where Gurung had been named alongwith 26 others. The investigation was initially handled by the policebefore being transferred to the CID.

Gurung had received bail from the CJM court here on February 13 onthe basis of an anticipatory bail granted to him by the JalpaiguriCircuit Bench of the Calcutta High Court on January 30 this year.

The court had directed the GJM president to surrender before a lower court which he haddone here in the CJM court which granted him a regular bail. Gurung hadfiled the anticipatory bail application on November 6, 2024.