The Calcutta High Court today adjourned the hearing of anticipatory bail prayers of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung, his wife Asha and 9 others till July 31 in connection with the Madan Tamang murder case.
A division bench, comprising Justice Ashim Kumar Roy and Justice M M Banerjee, adjourned the hearing on the petitions on a plea by CBI for appointing a senior counsel to plead its side.
Appearing for CBI, counsel Ashraf Ali told the court that the agency wanted to appoint a senior counsel in the matter owing to its importance and sought adjournment of hearing of the anticipatory bail prayers.
The bench also directed CBI to produce relevant portions of case diary, which is made up of 15 volumes, before the court on the next date of hearing.
In a temporary relief to Gurung, his wife Asha, GJM MLA Harka Bahadur Chettri and eight others, the division bench had on June 16 directed CBI not to arrest them till disposal of their anticipatory bail petitions.
All of them have been chargesheeted before a city court by CBI in connection with the investigation into the murder of All India Gorkha League president Madan Tamang who was hacked to death in Darjeeling town on May 21, 2010.
The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's court had on June six issued warrants of arrest against Gurung, his wife, Chettri and 20 others in connection with the murder case.
The court had directed the investigating agency to file a report on the execution of the order on June 26.
Following this, Gurung and 10 others moved anticipatory bail applications before the Calcutta High Court.
CBI had on May 29 filed a charge sheet against the GJM leaders levelling charges of murder and criminal conspiracy in the Tamang case.
The investigating agency had filed the final supplementary charge sheet before the court against Gurung, who is also chief of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), Asha, GJM MLA from Kalimpong Harkabahadur Chettri, GJM Assistant General Secretary Binoy Tamang, GTA Chairman Pradeep Pradhan, Deputy Chief Executive of GTA Col Ramesh Allay and 17 others for criminal conspiracy, murder and other charges.
Prime accused in the case Nickol Tamang had disappeared mysteriously from Pintail village near Siliguri, where he was being held by state CID on August 21, 2010 for interrogation following his arrest.
CBI had later taken over the investigation following an order of the high court.
