The chief of a Trinamul-run gram panchayat in East Midnapore’s Nandigram was arrested on Friday night on charges of misappropriation of funds on several counts, including unlawful sale of trees uprooted during Cyclone Amphan.

Samsul Islam was arrested following a letter by the BDO of Nandigram-1 block to the inspector in charge of Nandigram police suspecting misappropriation of funds, sources said. Also, Abbas Beg, Chandana Panda and Nazma Khatun, three panchayat members of Daudpur gram panchayat in Nandigram, have accused Islam, the head of the panchayat, of embezzling money from the sale of government trees uprooted during Amphan, as well as misusing funds meant for the installation of submersible pumps.

The Haldia chief judicial magistrate’s court on Saturday rejected Islam’s bail and sent him in police custody for two days.

The sources said suspected Trinamul workers later allegedly lobbed crude bombs at the homes of some panchayat members and raised a roadblock.

Trinamul block president in Nandigram, Swadesh Das, said: “If any wrongdoing is found, action will be taken.”

The BDO declined to comment on the issue.