One Gorkhaland Janmukti Morcha supporter and a police sub-inspector were killed, after violent clashes erupted between the GJM and the West Bengal Police in Darjeeling on Friday

One Gorkhaland Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supporter and a police sub-inspector were killed, while four policemen were injured, after violent clashes erupted between the GJM and the West Bengal police in Darjeeling on Friday, CNN News18 reported.

Police sub-inspector Amitabha Mullick was shot dead and four police personnel were severely injured after supporters of the Gorkha Janmukti Morch (GJM) loyal to Gurung opened fire to stop the advancing police party, Siddhinath Gupta, additional director general of police, said.

According to the channel, the clashes began after the police raided a workshop in Darjeeling's Takvar, where arms were being manufactured.

Six AK-47 rifles and one 9mm pistol have been recovered, "We have cordoned off the entire area and the raid operation is still on," Gupta told PTI.

The raid took place after the West Bengal Police received an intelligence input that absconding GJM chief Bimal Gurung might be hiding in the workshop, the report added.

The CNN News18 report noted that firing between the police and GJM supporters is still going on, which might have helped Gurung escape.

In August, Gurung was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for his alleged involvement in bomb blasts in the Darjeeling hills.

In September, the West Bengal Police had issued a lookout notice against Gurung. An arrest warrant was also issued against the GJM chief, PTI reported.

This is the first such incident of violence after the GJM sponsored 104-day bandh in the hills for a separate state of Gorkhaland was called off on 26 September after an appeal by union home minister Rajnath Singh.

With inputs from PTI