The Darjeeling district administration on Friday locked up Pattabong Tourist Lodge where Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung had been residing until recently and handed over the property to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

A deputy magistrate accompanied by police personnel locked up the gates of the four-storied tourist lodge, situated near Gurung’s native village Vah-Tukvar, around 11.30 am and handed over the keys to the GTA’s tourism department.

Gurung had started staying in the tourist lodge after he had resurfaced in 2020 and joined hands with the Trinamul Congress.

Gurung had been on the run after he had started the Gorkhaland agitation in 2017, in which 13 people had died.

“Soon after he resurfaced and joined hands with Trinamul, he came straight to Darjeeling and started staying at this tourist lodge. Since his house had been damaged during the agitation, it was largely thought that he would stay in the tourist lodge until the renovation of his house at VahTukvar was completed,” said a source.

Gurung, however, did not shift to his house even after the renovation was over.

Officials lock up the gate of Pattabong tourist lodge on Friday. The Telegraph

While Gurung was staying at the tourist lodge, the GTA which was headed by Anit Thapa, his protégé turned political rival, did try to get Gurung evicted from the tourist lodge which was completed in 2018, twice.

“The GTA did file a complaint with the police as soon as Gurung started staying there,” said a source.

Many believe that the administration was hesitant to take any steps as the Morcha was in alliance with the ruling Trinamul then.

“The GTA again filed a complaint with the police and the administration recently. The Darjeeling SDO also called for two hearings and Gurung’s lawyer did appear for one of the hearings,” said a source.

The fact that Gurung had distanced himself from Trinamul after the Darjeeling municipality elections last year and Thapa cemented his ties with Bengal’s ruling party has not been lost.

Following the hearing, the eviction process was undertaken according to the provisions of the West Bengal public land eviction of unauthorized occupants act, 1962.

Gurung, speaking to The Telegraph, admitted that he was residing in the property until recently.

“Until recently the government had allowed me to stay there. I used to personally clear the electricity bills of the guest house, too. However, I had stopped staying there from February 28,” said Gurung.

During the eviction process there were none to raise any objections.