GCDP men bailed out

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 14: Twenty-one supporters of Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party (GCDP) were released on bail from the court of district and sessions judge of Cooch Behar today. They were arrested in connection with a bandh that was called by Greater Kamta United Forum (GKUF) on 27 June. As GCDP is a constituent of the GKUF, its supporters came out to make the bandh successful on that day. Police arrested them in connection with damaging a NBSTC bus at Putimari area on the outskirts of Dinhata town.

 

Since their arrest the GCDP started a movement demanding unconditional release of their supporters. A GKUF sponsored bandh was also held in north Bengal on 6 July. They also organised rallies and submitted memorandums to the district magistrate of Cooch Behar on several times terming the arrest as an undemocratic move to suppress their movement for proper implementation of the merger agreement by which erstwhile Cooch Behar State was merged into the Union of India.

 

At last, today, in the court of district and sessions judge the judge-in-charge Mr KK Koomai granted bail to the twenty-one GCDP supporters who were in judicial custody since their arrest, said their lawyer Mr Shibendra Nath Roy. Mr Shasibhusan Barman was also among the released ones. He is the elder brother of The Greater Cooch Behar People's Association (GCPA) chief Mr Bangshi Badan Barman. []

 

PHOTO : As the Viswakarma puja on the corner an artisan puts finishing touches to clay idols of Lord Viswakarma.