Mohammad Ahid, a Trinamool leader of Fulbari on the outskirts of Siliguri, was arrested on Monday night for his alleged involvement in encroaching upon government and private land.

Ahid aka Chutki, is the third Trinamool leader from Dabgram-Fulbari and fourth from north Bengal to have been arrested on the charge.

A team of Siliguri Metropolitan Police nabbed Ahid along with his associate Mohammad Nasir, also a Trinamool worker, on Monday night.

“The duo were arrested based on a complaint filed by a resident of ward 33 of Siliguri,” said a source.

Gautam Deb, the mayor of Siliguri, has been elected from the same ward.

Last month, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had expressed disgruntlement at how land mafias have encroached upon government and private land in connivance with some Trinamool leaders in Dabgram-Fulbari.

The Dabgram-Fulbari constituency covers parts of the Siliguri civic area and contiguous areas of Jalpaiguri district.

Following her instructions, police and the district administration swung into action. While the police nabbed Debasish Pramanik and Gautam Goswami, the immediate past president and vice-president of Trinamool in Dabgram-Fulbari, the Jalpaiguri district administration launched a drive to vacate the encroached plots.

A member of the Trinamool-run Naxalbari panchayat samiti in the Siliguri subdivision was also arrested on similar charges.

Ahid, sources said, was an active Left worker before joining Trinamool. He also got elevated to the post of the president of Fulbari-I panchayat but was later removed.

On Tuesday, Ahid and Nasir were produced in the chief judicial magistate’s court in Jalpaiguri.

The court heard the case and ordered a 10-day police custody for both.

“I have full faith in the party. I hope the party will stand in my support,” he said.

Nasir said he had earlier filed a legal suit on a land issue. “No step was taken. Instead, I was arrested,” he said.

BJP leaders have scoffed at the arrests. “If there is a proper police investigation, most Trinamool leaders of Rajganj block (Dabgram-Fulbari is under this block) will be behind bars,” said Nitai Mondal, a BJP leader of the block.

Demolition drive

On Tuesday, the Jalpaiguri district administration demolished portions of two private resorts that had come up on government land.

The drive was carried out in Murti, a popular tourist destination on the fringes of Gorumara National Park under Matiali block. There was heavy police deployment to avoid any security breach.

Administrative sources said the authorities of these two properties were asked to submit documents to validate their claim that they were built on private land.

“The documents, however, were not satisfactory and thus, the boundary walls and entrance gates were demolished today. Such drives will continue,” said a source.

Earlier, similar drives were carried out in Gajoldoba and Lataguri.

Representatives of the Gorumara Tourism Welfare Association, an outfit of private resort owners, were present at the spot.

“We have asked all our members to submit proper documents so that they do not face such steps from the administration’s side,” said Jiban Bhowmik, treasurer of the association.