Kolkata, June 6 (IANS): A city court on Saturday issued arrest warrants against the entire top leadership of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), including supremo Bimal Gurung, in a murder case.

The case is related to the murder of All India Gorkha League (AIGL) president Madan Tamang, who was stabbed to death in Darjeeling on May 21, 2010.

The CBI, which is probing the case, on May 29 submitted a chargesheet indicting 23 people, including Gurung, of various offences including murder and criminal conspiracy.

City sessions court judge Gopal Chandra Karmakar issued the arrest warrants against Gurung and 22 others, directing the CBI to execute the order by June 26.

The CBI counsel told the court that the case was on for five years and it was imperative that the accused be arrested for effective investigation of the case.

While the defence counsel opposed the plea, the court accepted the CBI's prayer and directed that an officer of the rank of superintendent execute the arrest warrant by June 26 and place a report before the court in that regard.

Gurung is the chief of the autonomous hill council Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

Besides Gurung, the others against whom warrant has been issued include his wife Asha, party MLA from Kalimpong Harkabahadur Chettri, assistant general secretary Benoy Tamang, GTA chairman Pradeep Pradhan and deputy chief executive Colonel Ramesh Allay, among others.

While the GJM has said they would be moving a higher court in appeal, the AIGL has welcomed the verdict calling for the immediate arrest of all the accused.

"We welcome the court's verdict. This should have been done much earlier. We hope all the accused will be arrested immediately," AIGL general secretary Pratap Khati said.

Initially probed by the state police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the matter was handed over to the CBI after prime accused Nicole Tamang disappeared from the CID's custody in August 2010.