SC upholds Calcutta HC order, Bimal Gurung to face charges in Madan Tamang murder case

The Supreme Court has dismissed Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) chief Bimal Gurung’s petition challenging the Calcutta High Court’s directive to include him in the Madan Tamang murder case. A bench of Justices Bela M. Trivedi and P.B. Varale ruled that the top court would not interfere with the high court’s decision, allowing legal proceedings against Gurung to move forward. The case pertains to the 2010 killing of All India Gorkha League (AIGL) president Madan Tamang in Darjeeling.

The Calcutta High Court had earlier ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to include Gurung in its probe and proceed with framing charges. Justice Shuvendu Samant, in his ruling, stated that there was sufficient ground for legal action against Gurung. Following this, Gurung moved the Supreme Court seeking relief, but his plea was rejected on Wednesday. The decision enables the prosecution to formally press charges against him in the ongoing trial.

Madan Tamang was murdered in broad daylight on May 21, 2010, allegedly by assailants linked to the GJM. The CBI took over the case in 2011, and multiple arrests have been made over the years. With the Supreme Court’s latest ruling, the case is set to proceed as per the directives of the Calcutta High Court. The next phase of legal proceedings will focus on framing charges and conducting a trial based on the CBI’s findings.