Gorkha Janmukti Morcha President Bimal Gurung, his wife Asha and 16 others surrendered before a sessions court in Kolkata on Tuesday in connection with Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League Chief Madan Tamang’s murder. The court granted them bail after each of them furnished Rs-10,000 bonds, reported IANS. However, they have been barred from leaving the city till charges are framed against them.

The GJM leaders surrendered after the Calcutta High Court accepted the anticipatory bail plea of 21 GJM leaders and ordered the petitioners to surrender by December 21. However, three of the accused did not turn up at the court. During its December 14 ruling, the high court had said that charges against the accused should be framed by February 1, 2017, after which trials will start, reported The Indian Express.

Tamang was stabbed to death in Darjeeling on May 21, 2010, when he was getting ready to address a public rally. The case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation after prime accused Nicole Tamang went missing from the custody of state police’s Criminal Investigation Department in August, 2010.

In its chargesheet filed on May 29 last year, the CBI had charged 23 GJM leaders for murder and criminal conspiracy. While Nicole Tamang is absconding, another GMJ leader died. A city court issued arrest warrants against the 21 accused on June 6 last year.