Former minister sends a legal notice to Chief Minister

Gangtok, July 24 (UNI) Former state forest minister Thukchuk Lachungpa today sent a legal notice to Chief Minister Pawan Chamling demanding an unconditional apology over alleged defamatory statements published in the party's booklet or face legal action.

In his notice addressed to Mr Chamling, Mr Lachungpa said that SDF party booklet gives a false impression to the people that the High Court in a suo moto had ordered the CBI to make an investigation against him for felling silver fir trees in North Sikkim when he was the forest minister.

Mr Lachungpa was the state forest minister from 1984 to 1989.

Stating that the published items were grossly false and an attempt to tarnish his image, Mr Lachungpa said there were no such investigations against him nor any suo motto case initiated against him as falsely imputed in the said booklet.

'' As the Chairman of Sikkim Citizen Forum, I had supported the hunger strike by Affected Citizens of Teesta but SDF has restored to a personal attack on me,'' he told newspersons.

Holding the SDF president responsible for publishing and printing of the booklet without verifying its correctness, Mr Lachungpa demanded an apology within the next 15 days or he will be compelled to file a civil as well as criminal case.

UNI