Century-old community hall, TMC office burnt down in hills

Darjeeling (WB), July 19 (PTI): Pro-Gorkhaland agitators again went on rampage today in the stir-hit Darjeeling hills, burning down a century-old community hall, a TMC office and a police vehicle.

The 100-year-old Raj Rajeswari Hall in the Kurseong sub- division was reduced to cinder when GJM activists set it afire late last night.

In fresh violence today, agitators set aflame a Trinamool Congress office in Darjeeling and hurled a petrol bomb at an unoccupied police vehicle at Chowkbazar.

A garage of a TMC councillor in Mirik was also burn down by alleged GJM activists.

“No one was injured in those incidents. We are trying to identify the culprits,” an official said.

The GJM, meanwhile, decided to hold a sit-in at Chowkbazar to protest against the alleged killing of nine pro-Gorkhaland agitators in police firing.

The police, however, maintained that two persons died in the hills including a truck driver whose vehicle was set ablaze since yesterday.

The Gorkhaland supporters, dressed in traditional Nepali attire, took out rallies in the morning across the hills. They raised slogans in support of their demand as the police and security forces patrolled the streets.

Internet services remained suspended on the 35th day of the indefinite shutdown today. Except pharmacy, all other shops, restaurants, hotels, schools and colleges remained closed.