Darjeeling, Sep 11

A prominent businessman was Wednesday arrested for allegedly funding disruptive activities in West Bengal's Darjeeling region, police said.

B.M. Garg, who owns a popular retail outlet in Darjeeling, was picked up from his residence, as part of a crackdown by the West Bengal government against the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and those funding the outfit, Darjeeling Superintendent of Police Kunal Agarwal said.

After Garg's arrest, shops and markets in the town downed their shutters.

Two other businessmen -- Dilip Parik and Mangaylal Parik -- were also arrested from Sangam Bazaar area under Darjeeling subdivision.

"They were arrested with unaccounted 100 bags of rice and Rs.1.32 lakh in cash," Agarwal said.

The Mamata Bannerjee government has been cracking down on the GJM since it intensified its movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland in July after the centre gave the go-ahead to Telangana.

A couple of days back, a man named Ashok Pokhriyal was arrested from Kalimpong for funding the GJM and its agitation. 

Wednesday's arrests were based on information gathered from Pohkriyal's interrogation.

By:IANS

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