Darjeeling, April 24: Members of the CPRM have begun a two-day hunger strike in the hills to demand speedy trial of Chattrey Subba, the prime accused in the Subash Ghisingh assassination attempt seven years ago.

The party has also demanded Rs 5 lakh as compensation for all those who were killed fighting for a new hill state during the Gorkhaland agitation of the 1980s.

The fast began in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Mirik, Bijanbari and Gorubathan, among other places.

“Although Subba has been in jail for seven years, his trial is not over yet. If he is found guilty, we have nothing to say, but the trial must be completed soon,” said Shekar Chhetri, the president of the CPRM’s youth wing, the Democratic Revolutionary Youth Front.

Subba, a trusted lieutenant-turned-rival of Ghisingh, was arrested in 2001 for his alleged involvement in the murder attempt on the GNLF chief near Kurseong on February 10 of that year.

In all, 13 people were arrested in the case, which was transferred from the Darjeeling court to Jalpaiguri on November 29, 2002, after lawyers of the accused said GNLF supporters were intimidating them in the hills. Six of the 13 were released in 2003 and some others got bail. Currently, Subba and four others are lodged in the Jalpaiguri district jail.

Subba was today produced in district and session’s court where the case came up for hearing. “We are thankful to the CPRM supporters for standing beside us,” Subba said. “I have full faith in the court of law and hope that the trial will be over soon.”

The CPRM said it planned to stage a dharna at Writers’ Buildings in Calcutta next month to press for its twin demands. “We also want the Bengal government to pay Rs 5 lakh to all Gorkhaland martyrs,” said Chhetri.

After the formation of the DGHC, Ghisingh had paid Rs 8,000 each to the families of the deceased.