KalimNews | June 7, 2025 | Kalimpong : Sikkim Police on Saturday, June 7, 2025, arrested two senior members of the Gorkha Seva Sena from their respective residences in Kalimpong and Darjeeling. The individuals taken into custody are Bikramadi Rai, Chief Convenor of the organization, and Mani Kumar Singh, its Convenor. These arrests come a day after the Sikkim government filed a First Information Report (FIR) on June 6, 2025, against three leaders of the group—Subash Mani Singh, Bikramadi Rai, and Noel Sharma—over their public advocacy for a merger between Sikkim and Darjeeling.
The FIR, registered at the Sadar Police Station in Gangtok by the Home Department of Sikkim, accuses the individuals of engaging in actions perceived to threaten public order and the state’s integrity. Specific details about the allegations have not yet been made public. The authorities have stated that the arrests are part of a larger inquiry into the organization’s activities.
Following the development, several political voices expressed concern. The Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League issued a strong statement condemning what it described as arbitrary arrests of Subash Mani Singh and Bikramadi Rai. Pratap Khati, Working President of the League, demanded their immediate release and the withdrawal of what he characterized as politically motivated charges. He called on democratic institutions and civil society to stand in defense of the right to peaceful dissent.
Political figure Binay Tamang also publicly criticized the arrests, aligning with concerns raised about freedom of expression and democratic rights. Meanwhile, Subash Mani Singh, one of the individuals named in the FIR, confirmed via a Facebook post that he had been detained by Sikkim Police. In the post, he mentioned his appearance at an RTI appeal hearing on June 4, 2025, and implied that his subsequent arrest was unjust and directly linked to his civic engagement./
