Students, protesting alleged police atrocities at Sukna, in front of the district magistrate’s office in Darjeeling on Wednesday. (Suman Tamang)

Kalimpong, Feb. 24: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today threatened to launch a jail bharo agitation in the hills and the Dooars if all the 18 people arrested in connection with the Sukna arson were not released within 72 hours.

Eighteen people were rounded up and sent to jail after a mob, demanding the arrest of a murder accused, had burnt down a police outpost at Sukna, 10km from Siliguri, on Sunday night.

“They (the arrested people) are all victims of the state government’s conspiracy. The police should release them in 72 hours or else, we will launch a jail bharo. All cases against the arrested should be dropped also,” said Morcha assistant secretary Binay Tamang after a meeting of the party’s frontal organisations. The meeting was chaired by Morcha president Bimal Gurung.

Tamang accused the police of letting lose a reign of terror in Sukna following the Sunday’s incident. “Party vice-president Raju Pradhan, secretary Roshan Giri and myself had been touring Sukna for the past few days. Because of frequent raids by the police, the residents are leaving their homes,” he alleged.

The Morcha has been saying from the beginning that people responsible for the arson were not its supporters.

All the arrested are the residents of Sukna and they included a Morcha leader, Vikash Chhetri, and two students.

In another development, the Morcha decided to revoke the suspension of its central committee member Bimal Darji. He had been suspended by the party on September 27 on alleged corruption charges.

“The party had been keeping a close watch on Bimal Darji for four months and was satisfied with his conduct as well as the dedication he had shown towards the party during the time. Consequently, he has been brought back to the central committee,” said Tamang.