SDF Spokesperson Rikzing Norbu Bhutia was seen entering Gyalshing District Court, today, June 02, to surrender. Bhutia was wanted for being one of the perpetrators of SKM-SDF clash in Soreng on April 30.
Bhutia and Yakha, who were absconding, were reported to be walking into Gyalshing District Court to surrender.
It is reported that, Avinash Yakha who was also absconding with Bhutia accompanied Bhutia in the surrender to Gyalshing Police. Both Yakha and Bhutia have been reportedly sent to Namchi court for the necessary legal procedure.
Recently, on April 30, party workers from SDF and SKM had a clash in Soreng which had turned violent resulting in stone pelting against each other and open firing of gun shots. The main perpetrator who was filmed shooting the pistol was Avinash Yakha.
Earlier, Bhutia had posted a statement from his facebook pleading his innocence and sharing his views on the incident and how it was handled by the police and the government. The since deleted post was written in retrospect to the Soreng incident of April 30 from his perspective.
“Today, I am surrendering in the District Court Geyzing ( West Sikkim ) because I am booked under different sections for the crime which I have not committed related with the Soreng incident on 30th April this year,” Bhutia had written.
“In fact , that day we were brutally man handled, beaten and thrashed by SKM goons who waited for us on the spot with large numbers, armed with sharp objects, knives, iron rods and rocks. It was a pre-planned murder attack and was never a coincidence. We were able to escape sustaining major injuries. No police were present on the spot even after the permission for the meeting was already granted from the District office and no arrest and investigation were done against the SKM goons. Whoever were arrested were released immediately with minor charges as has become the practice,” he added
Further making a case for him and his cadres being the victims rather than the culprits he wrote, “Section 304 (attempt to murder) and section 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint) should have been charged against them and not us. I and my other two members of SDF party were the victims and not a culprits.”
He added, “Furthermore, until the Judiciary of our state won’t declare us guilty, we cannot be termed as a criminal which few of SKM party cadres have already done through various news and social media platforms. They think they are above the Judiciary and superior than the law that governs our country.”
“The SKM Government has been misusing the state police for their own political mileage. Because of few police officers who are also involved in helping the culprits, misusing their positions have compromised the status of whole Sikkim Police. The innocent people of Sikkim have lost faith in the Police Department and this is dangerous.
“I am not a criminal nor I have committed any crime. Being a victim of that incident, we are booked by the law and the real culprits are set free. I demand that such practices should be stopped immediately.
“Those criminals need to be severely punished by the law in order to teach them a lesson but if the protector of the law protects them instead of punishing them then Sikkim will witness more crimes and political murders in future.
When the Government and its agencies tries to suppress the voice and does gross injustice, its the Judiciary which has always been the effective means of seeking justice.
I believe in Judiciary of our country and the Judges who can make decisions independent of the political winds that are blowing.”
Quoting Mahatma Gandhi he concluded, “An unjust law is itself a species of violence. Arrest for its breach is more so.”