Cooch Behar, Feb. 25: The 40 Forward Bloc supporters, who were arrested after the police firing at Dinhata on February 5, could not secure bail today as their lawyer failed to fulfil a condition laid down by Calcutta High Court.

Tirtha Saha, the lawyer representing the jailed supporters, said the high court had granted them bail on February 19 on condition that all the accused would have to stay outside the district till further orders.

The high court had granted bail to the Bloc supporters after a lower court in Dinhata rejected their pleas.

On February 5, the police opened fire on a Bloc demonstration that turned violent in Dinhata and killed five protesters. The party supporters were protesting against the poor implementation of schemes for the economically weak people in front of the office of the subdivisional officer (SDO). Next day, a member of the National Volunteer Force died of injuries received during the conflict. The SDO had lodged an FIR against 57 supporters including seven leaders. The police arrested 40 of them, while 10 are under treatment in hospital.

After receiving the high court order, the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) here on Friday had asked the lawyer of the accused to submit papers of a hotel or any other place where the 40 Bloc supporters would be lodged.

Saha today submitted documents of an Alipurduar hotel. However, as the hotel did not have the licence, the CJM court did not grant bail to the Bloc supporters.

Saha said relevant papers of an alternative accommodation would be submitted tomorrow. “We have spoken to the management of Mainak, the government-run tourist lodge in Siliguri, and it has agreed to put up our supporters,” said Cooch Behar MLA of the party, Akshay Thakur.