Justice Rajasekhar Mantha of Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the director general of police to set up a special investigation team led by a "competent" ADG to probe into the alleged attack on Matua Mahasangha members on June 11 at Thakurnagar in North 24-Parganas.

The order followed a petition by Union minister and BJP MP Shantanu Thakur alleging that Trinamul general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee and his followers attacked Matua Mahasangha and BJP members.

Appearing for Thakur, advocate Rajdeep Majumder claimed that on June 11 a meeting was being held on Rath Yatra preparations on Thakurbari campus at Thakurnagar. Majumder said that during the meeting, Abhishek and his party workers tried to forcibly enter the temple. As members objected, Abhishek and his followers attacked Matua Mahasangha members and the BJP supporters present, the lawyer claimed. The lawyer also claimed that police refused to accept an FIR from his client but took action against Thakur's followers. The police "falsely" implicated BJP workers in various cases, which included harassment of women. Majumder added that Trinamul supporters tried to enter the temple without prior approval.

Opposing the petition, counsel for state Tapan Mukherjee said Abhishek went to the temple to pay homage and not to create trouble. "Prior permission had been taken. Actually, two rival groups of the Sangha got involved in a scuffle," Mukherjee claimed, adding that the police took prompt action and arrested some of the accused.

Hearing both sides, Justice Mantha ordered an SIT probe. He also ordered the SIT to place its preliminary report in court on July 18.