Sonada: The Darjeeling hills on July 8 erupted in massive protests after police killing killed a man the previous night.

Tashi Bhutia was killed when the Central Reserve Police Force fired on him without any provocation at Sonada, a town in the hills. He was reportedly returning home after buying medicine.

Local people began gathered early morning on July 8 to protest the killing. They also took out a rally. In return, the police resorted to firing. The security forces also used tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, reports The Darjeeling Chronicle.

The police have registered a First Information Report against the officers involved in the shooting of Bhutia.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court has questioned the federal government’s delay in quelling the Darjeeling stir.

“Given the geopolitical area in which it lies, doesn’t the Centre think this agitation be quelled immediately?” asked acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre on July7 while hearing a plea for restoration of normalcy in the Darjeeling hills.

The court posed the query amid the standoff between the Indian Armed forces with the Chinese army at Dokalam at the Bhutan tri-junction, not too far from Darjeeling.

Justice Mhatre and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty directed the West Bengal government officials to sit with the federal Ministry of Home Affairs to sort out the requirements for para-military forces on the basis of ground conditions.

Expressing displeasure at the state and the federal governments sparring over the requirement of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) in the restive Darjeeling hills, the bench observed, “The situation can improve only if both of you sit together and sort out the issues.”

The court asked the two governments to reach a meaningful understanding over CAPF requirement before July 11, when the matter would be heard next.

The ongoing indefinite shutdown that began on June 15 has severely affected normal life in Darjeeling and Kalimpong. The stir was enforced by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and some other hill parties for a separate state.

Incidents of arson have been going on in different parts of the hills since June 8.