Darjeeling Police on Wednesday said they have initiated a high-level inquiry into an audio clip where Darjeeling Police Station Inspector-in-charge Soumyajit Roy has purportedly threatened to torch a local man’s house and to rape his sister and mother.

Shakuntala Bhattarai, the mother of Achutam Bhattarai of Ging Tea Estate near Darjeeling, has filed a complaint with the Darjeeling DSP, seeking action against Mr Roy for allegedly making such remarks purportedly while in conversation on the telephone with his son.

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“If the officer is found at fault, both legal and departmental action will be taken against him,” Darjeeling Superintendent of Police Akhilesh Chaturvedi said on Wednesday.

“An audio clip has come where it has been alleged that the IC Sadar has threatened one Bhattarai in reference to which, we got a complaint yesterday from his mother. I have called for an inquiry by an SP rank officer. Due to the matter being phone-related, I also request the CID to undertake proper inquiry. If the IC is found at fault, then strict action will be taken against him departmentally and legally,” Mr Chaturvedi said.

According to him, the complaint was served through the Darjeeling DSP by the mother Shakuntala Bhattarai and that the inquiry would be conducted by the Darjeeling SP (Operations) Amarnath K. “In the meantime, we have also provided security to the family so no one can do mischief. Our stand is clear. Stern action will be taken against whoever misbehaves with the public,” said Mr Chaturvedi.

On the other hand, the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha’s Binoy Tamang camp criticized Darjeeling MP SS Ahluwalia for writing to Home Minister Rajnath Singh about the audio clip and demanding a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into violence during the Hill agitation last year.

“Why is the MP speaking now when he didn’t utter a word when people here died and suffered during the 104- day strike last year?” said Morcha leader Alok Kanta Thulung.

“The MP should do his work and not make propagandas. We do not want CBI or NIA, but peace and development here. If he is really concerned for the Hill people, he should take out a private bill for Gorkhaland and write to the home minister about it, while also taking into confidence other ministers in Delhi,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM), Kalimpong branch, filed an FIR at the Kalimpong police station against the Darjeeling police IC. Kishor Chettri, the president of the CPRM Kalimpong Regional Committee, said such (purported) language from a police officer cannot be tolerated in a civilised society.