ACT activists sent to 11 days of judicial custody

Gangtok, Feb 10: Forty one members of Affected Citizens were sent
to judicial custody at Rongyek Jail today by Chief Judicial Magistrate
(East and North) for a period of 11 days. Those sent to judicial
custody includes ACT general secretary Dawa Lepcha, member Tenzing
Lepcha, Sangha of Dzongu president Ligdem Lepcha and Concerned Lepchas
of Sikkim president Gyatso Lepcha.
The ACT members had been produced before the CJM today here in Gangtok
after their three day police remand at Mangan police station ended
today. They have been arrested on charges of unlawful assembly,
rioting and theft of explosives at the dam site of the controversial
280 MW Panan power project at Lingzya, Upper Dzongu, North Sikkim on
February 7.
The arrested ACT members did not file any bail applications, it is
learnt and rather chose to go to jail. It is also informed that the
ACT members may restore to hunger strike at the jail itself to
highlight their demand for the scrapping of the mega power projects
proposed in the Lepcha reserve of Dzongu.
Three other arrested ACT members, Sonam Lepcha, Ligden Lepcha and
Tshering Lepcha have been sent to juvenile home in Gangtok as they
were under 18 years of age.
Other ACT leaders like Tseten Lepcha and Sherap Lepcha were present at
the District Court (East and North) today here to express their
solidarity with their arrested members.