Three BJP activists were arrested on Tuesday night for allegedly assaulting a functionary of a Trinamul-run gram panchayat and his family members and ransacking his house in East Burdwan’s Galsi as he had protested against a purported ban on cattle trade.

Subodh Ghosh, the deputy chief of Bhuri gram panchayat, had lodged a complaint against 11 BJP workers at Galsi police station on Tuesday.

“We have arrested three persons for attacking the panchayat functionary’s house and assaulting his family. The rest of the accused will be arrested soon,” said a police officer at Galsi.

However, those accused of assaulting and intimidating Asgar Sahana, a Trinamul supporter and a cattle trader, at Bandhagachi village in Galsi are yet to be arrested.

Asgar had also lodged a complaint against some BJP workers who had allegedly asked him to quit his trade.

East Burdwan police superintendent Bhaskar Mukherjee called Ghosh to his office in Burdwan town and interrogated him on the alleged ban on the cattle trade by the BJP workers. Both Ghosh and the SP declined comments.

Officials of the district intelligence branch inspected the villages in Galsi and spoke to some cattle traders.

The BJP denied the charge of assaulting Asgar or imposing a ban on the cattle trade.

“Trinamul workers beat up Chandan Sikdar, who is a Bajrang Dal activist, and in retaliation, some local people ransacked Subodh Ghosh’s house. We are not trying to ban cattle trade,” said BJP leader Kaliranjan Chatterjee.

Chandan’s elder brother Abhijit Sikdar has lodged a complaint against three Trinamul workers.