Jalpaiguri blast case: KPP central committee gen secy arrested

(WB), Dec 30: A central committee member of Kamtapur Peoples Party (KPP), which is spearheading demand for a separate Kamtapur state, has been arrested from

in connection with the bicycle bomb blast here that claimed six lives.

Nubas Burman, the general secretary of KPP central committee, was arrested from his home at Toofanganj in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district yesterday in connection with the December 26 blast, Japlpaiguri superintendent of police Amit P Javalgi said today.

Burman is the second person to be arrested in connection with the blast at Bajrapara here. One person was arrested from Moynaguri in Jalpaiguri district.

One person was arrested from Moynaguri in Jalpaiguri district.

The SP said some persons have also been detained in connection with the bicycle bomb blast and police were questioning them to find out their role in the blast.

The blast is suspected to have been carried out by the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO). Burman had been arrested in 2002 on charges of being a KLO linkman but was released the next year.

Before being produced at a court here today, he alleged that he was arrested in order to scuttle the agitation for a separate Kamtapur state to be carved out of north Bengal and some Assam districts. He also denied any links with KLO or the blast.

The district administration has clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC in areas of Jalpaiguri town since yesterday in view of KPP's programme to gherao the divisional commissioner's office during the day in support of its demand.

PTI