As police recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from Limbu Batsi, around 12 km from here today, they said Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha leader Bimal Gurung had distributed more such weapons to wage a war against the state.

Police also claimed that they have come to know that Sikkim had helped the absconding Hill leader with cash and that Mr Gurung had taken a total of Rs 1.50 crore until now.

The weapons recovered today included a double barrel gun and two country-made guns, along with 15 rounds of ammunition and 22 patangs (sharp-edged weapons) and 50 metres of camouflage dress.

“One person called Bhaskar Mukhia of Pokhriabong was arrested in the last week of February. He runs a nursery there. When the agitation started, Gurung made him the relief committee chairman and Bhaskar used to get assistance from the Sikkim government in the form of cash. Mukhia had stated that once Rs 1 crore cash was received by Morcha leader PT Ola, and the second time he received Rs 50 lakh. There could be other instances, also but we have come to know about this till now,” Darjeeling SP (Operations) Amarnath K said. The SP also said that Bhaskar had told them that Mr Gurung used to collect country-made guns and other arms with the help of middlemen and that the main organiser was Mr Gurung’s driver Sidhant Kami, alias Maila, of Limbu Basti, who was arrested on 6 March.

“Gurung was assisted by Praveen Subba who lives in Patleybas and Dipen Subba, alias Dipen Limbu, who is from Teesta Valley. These two had organized an arms training camp by collecting GLP (Gorkhaland personnel) from the Dooars, Rimbick Lodhama, Jorebunglow and Rangli Rangliat in the under-construction Kanchenjunga school hostel which used to be run by Bimal Gurung,” Mr Amarnath said.

Sidhant, who is on five-day police remand, told the police that the gelatin sticks that were stolen from the NTPC site was 13 cartons, which had been brought to Patleybas and was received by Mr Gurung, police claimed, adding that the sticks were distributed to different places from the Kanchenjunga hostel. “We got information earlier also that a person from Goak Suk, Tshering Lepcha, was kidnapped by the GLP, as he used to manufacture country guns in the 86 and 90s’ agitation. He was kept captive and asked to teach them, SP said.