Bengal DGP takes stock of situation in Kalimpong

West Bengal Director General of Police Surajit Kar Purkayastha on Tuesday took stock of the situation in north Bengal's Kalimpong and said locals and police were working to help restore normalcy in the district.

"Today (Tuesday), I visited Kalimpong. It is heartening to see that the situation is becoming normal. The local public is also very happy. The police and locals have worked hand in hand to restore normalcy and make the situation better," Purkayastha said.

"We have identified a few people trying to create disturbance. Many of them have already been arrested, the rest will also be arrested," he said.

The officer, who went to Darjeeling and Mirik on Monday, visited the Kalimpong police station, where a civic volunteer was killed and a Home Guard and a Seema Sashastra Bal trooper injured in a hand grenade explosion in August.

He went around the Damber Chowk area in Kalimpong and talked to a few locals there.

"I have talked to a few locals. They said they are happy that the shutdown has been withdrawn. Now, tourists have started to come in," the DGP said.

Purkayastha's visit to north Bengal came days after Amitava Malik, a Sub Inspector, was killed and four cops were injured during a gun battle between security forces and Bimal Gurung faction of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in Darjeeling's Lepcha Bustee near the Sikkim border.

Though police failed to get hold of GJM chief Gurung, they arrested three persons and seized a large cache of arms and ammunition from the GJM camp.

--IANS

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