Fresh violence in Darjeeling

Darjeeling, July 18 (IANS): The situation in Darjeeling district's Mirik continued to be tense following the death of a Gorkhaland activist allegedly in police firing even as fresh incidents of violence and road blockades ensued in the northern West Bengal hills on Tuesday.   Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supporters allegedly torched a panchayat office in Kalimpong district's Algara early on Tuesday, while an office of the state Land Reforms Department in Darjeeling's Mirik was also stone pelted and vandalised, police said.   Protesting the death of their supporter on Monday night, the GJM activists took out a massive rally in Mirik on Tuesday afternoon and blocked the adjoining roads felling tree trunks. The GJM leadership has however denied all the allegations of vandalism and strongly condemned the police action, claiming that there was unprovoked firing on their supporters in Mirik during Monday's clash.   The GJM had on Monday claimed that one of their supporters named Ashish Tamang was killed in police firing during a clash between the Trinamool Congress cadres and GJM supporters in Mirik. GJM General Secretary Binay Tamang said Ashish was shot in the chest by police.   Though police confirmed that they received a dead body, they refused to divulge any information about the identity of the deceased or the reason of his death. Police also denied firing at the crowd and claimed only tear gas shells was charged to disperse the mob.   West Bengal Tourism Minister Gautam Deb also claimed that police did not open fire and said the massive clash between Trinamool and GJM activists might have caused the death. "Police did not open fire. They are playing a sensitive role in the hills. It is possible that the person lost his live during the clash between the two parties," he said.