Vaidya’s role in Ilam attack

The recent Maoist attack on Pasupatinagar police post of Ilam is being linked by some observers to the recently-nabbed top Nepali Maoist leader Mohan Vaidya. The ‘fact’ that the Maoists had gathered at a hillock on the Indian side before the attack and had also warned India’s Special Service Bureau personnel ‘not to invene in Nepal’s internal affairs’, for example, led Puran Rai of the Indian border police to presume Nepali-speaking Indians could also have been mobilised in the attack.

Fresh exiles from Bhutan

Some Nepali-speaking residents of southern Bhutan, who said they have fled to Siliguri, narrated on Monday cases of about 46 Lhotshampa families being recently evicted from two districts in the area, adding such evictions have apparently being renewed.

Shop gutted

A shop in the central market complex in Darjeeling was engulfed in a fire on Thursday. The shop, owned by Padam Subba, was completely gutted. Police is yet to ascertain the cause of the fire.

Wife burnt to death

Sujata Pradhan, wife of Dilip Pradhan, a resident of Turuk basti near Kurseong, was allegedly burnt to death by him last Monday night. It is said there used to be frequent quarrels between the two. On the day of the incident, neighbours had come to Sujata’s rescue hearing her screams, but she succumbed to her injuries two days later. Dilip has been taken into custody.

Trade union leader killed

Trade union leader Ratia Orao, was brutally murdered by an infuriated mob of tea garden women in the Dooars area, while he was trying to save another co-unionist, Nandeswar Gope, on Thursday. Gope managed to escape. One Jagmohan, 30, was accused of hacking his father to death at Dimdima tea estate in Malbazaar. He has been taken into custody.

Nepali film from Nagaland

Nagaland is set become the first state in India’s Northeast to produce a Nepali feature film, Ma Kasari Bhanu (How can I Tell?), said the state’s IGP, CP Giri, who is also the producer. Director Binod Bista, said the songs of the film have already been recorded. Narayan Jha and Anand Karki are the playback singers, while Mukti Baral from Siliguri is the script writer.