Darjeeling unrest: 3 CRPF men wounded in mob attack in Teesta Valley

The Darjeeling hills have been on the edge since the beginning of this month over the revived movement for a separate state to be curved out of West Bengal.

A mob allegedly attacked and wounded at least three CRPF men at Teesta Valley, about 40km from Darjeeling, when a team of central and state police was conducting a search in villages on Thursday evening for members of the Gorkhaland statehood stir.

Supporters of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) burn copies of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) agreement during a protest in Siliguri. The GJM wants a separate state of Gorkhaland, of which Darjeeling is a part. (AFP)

The Darjeeling hills have been on the edge since the beginning of this month over the revived movement for a separate state to be curved out of West Bengal.

The tea garden dotted Teesta Valley was unusually tense after people set ablaze on Tuesday a community hall that served as a temporary CRPF camp. No one was wounded.

Members of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), which is spearheading the statehood demand, are suspected to be behind the incident.

A joint search was launched to catch the arsonists but the policemen faced stiff resistance from villagers, who allegedly caught hold of three CRPF men and thrashed them.

The incident was confirmed by independent sources in the restive region that has remained cut off because of a prolonged general strike and clashes. The CRPF or district police headquarters didn’t make any statement.

Wild rumours have also surfaced, some of which say the CRPF men were killed or they disappeared after the mob attack.