Section 144 imposed in Sikkim’s Singtam after clashes during Joint Action Committee protests
Sikkim government has imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) after sporadic clashes broke out during a protest rally held by the Joint Action Committee on Saturday in Singtam town in Sikkim’s Gangtok district.
Violence broke out after some unidentified miscreants attacked JAC General Secretary Keshav Sapkota when he was trying to mobilise local JAC workers for the protest rally in the state capital against expansion of the definition of the ‘Sikkimese’ people in Section 10 (26AAA) of the Income Tax Act 1961 under the Finance Bill 2023 passed by Parliament recently.
The Singtam Police lodged two cases in this connection and nabbed three persons in this connection, Gangtok, Superintendent of Police (SP) Tenzing Loden Lepcha, said.
“We have lodged an FIR and a counter FIR by rival parties and arrested three persons based on the video recording in circulation on social media,” the SP said.
A member of the Singtam Taxi Drivers Association was also injured when he was attacked by JAC workers.
Apprehending the threat to the law and order situation, the Additional District Magistrate of Gangtok issued prohibitory orders for the entire Singtam Bazar area and within the periphery 200 m radius of Singtam Bazar.
After the violence, Former Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and Sikkim BJP chief DR Thapa visited the Governor on Saturday. Chamling requested the Governor to look into the law and order situation in Sikkim.
