SILIGURI: Where is Nicole Tamang, a top rung Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader and prime accused in the murder of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League leader Madan Tamang? The CBI, which is probing the murder, says that Nicole slipped abroad after escaping from CID custody in August 2010, but intelligence officers believe Nicole is very much in Darjeeling and playing a crucial role in the present Gorkhaland agitation.
He was last seen in June this year at the GLP headquarters on the banks of Chhota Rangeet river, say intelligence sources.
Madan Tamang, an influential leader, was hacked to death in daylight at Chowkbazar, a prominent tourist spot of Darjeeling, in May 2010. Investigating agencies say it was a well planned political murder.
CID zeroed in on Nicole from video footage of the killing and a cellphone found at the crime scene. Nicole, a Morcha central committee member, was arrested on August 16 but escaped a week later in the middle of an interrogation. Since then, there is no trace of him and CBI says an Interpol red corner notice has been issued against him.
Though the Morcha has disowned Nicole, intelligence agencies say he is playing a crucial role in regrouping Gorkhaland activists and recruiting GLP cadres for the latest phase of the agitation. A senior officer of a central intelligence agency says that a few days ago they recovered some documents, which reveal that Tamang was in the GLP's Teesta Tribeni camp in September 2011.
TOI has copies of the GLP camp's register, which records details of the 'instructors'. It shows that on September 29, 2011, 'Nicole Tamang' rejoined the camp. "We are verifying the information and the documents. But circumstantial evidence suggests he was present at the Tribeni camp," said an officer.
Intelligence reports suggest that after escaping from CID custody, Tamang hid in a hotel in Siliguri and then went to Kalijhora, where he took shelter in a tea estate near Lebong on the outskirts of Darjeeling. Morcha runs a camp here. In the end-2011 or the beginning of 2012, Tamang crossed the Nepal border and went to Kathmandu. CBI corroborates this in its report. But in the middle of 2012, he returned and took shelter in the GLP camp at Lebong area, say intelligence sources, adding that Tamang was last seen at the GLP HQ Jamuni on the banks of the Chhota Rangeet river in June 2013. "Villagers informed me that Tamang was present in the camp in GLP uniform," said Mohan Sharna, Darjeeling district secretary of ABGL.
Senior Morcha leader Harka Bahadur Chhetri rubbished the allegation and claimed that it was a government ploy to malign the party. Darjeeling SP Kunal Agarwal said he is not aware of Tamang's whereabouts.
Madan Tamang, an influential leader, was hacked to death in daylight at Chowkbazar, a prominent tourist spot of Darjeeling, in May 2010. Investigating agencies say it was a well planned political murder.
CID zeroed in on Nicole from video footage of the killing and a cellphone found at the crime scene. Nicole, a Morcha central committee member, was arrested on August 16 but escaped a week later in the middle of an interrogation. Since then, there is no trace of him and CBI says an Interpol red corner notice has been issued against him.
Though the Morcha has disowned Nicole, intelligence agencies say he is playing a crucial role in regrouping Gorkhaland activists and recruiting GLP cadres for the latest phase of the agitation. A senior officer of a central intelligence agency says that a few days ago they recovered some documents, which reveal that Tamang was in the GLP's Teesta Tribeni camp in September 2011.
TOI has copies of the GLP camp's register, which records details of the 'instructors'. It shows that on September 29, 2011, 'Nicole Tamang' rejoined the camp. "We are verifying the information and the documents. But circumstantial evidence suggests he was present at the Tribeni camp," said an officer.
Intelligence reports suggest that after escaping from CID custody, Tamang hid in a hotel in Siliguri and then went to Kalijhora, where he took shelter in a tea estate near Lebong on the outskirts of Darjeeling. Morcha runs a camp here. In the end-2011 or the beginning of 2012, Tamang crossed the Nepal border and went to Kathmandu. CBI corroborates this in its report. But in the middle of 2012, he returned and took shelter in the GLP camp at Lebong area, say intelligence sources, adding that Tamang was last seen at the GLP HQ Jamuni on the banks of the Chhota Rangeet river in June 2013. "Villagers informed me that Tamang was present in the camp in GLP uniform," said Mohan Sharna, Darjeeling district secretary of ABGL.
Senior Morcha leader Harka Bahadur Chhetri rubbished the allegation and claimed that it was a government ploy to malign the party. Darjeeling SP Kunal Agarwal said he is not aware of Tamang's whereabouts.
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