Over 300 villagers on Tuesday attacked and ransacked the ancestral home of state panchayat and rural development minister Pradip Mazumdar in East Burdwan’s Raina after a tribal youth was brutally assaulted on charges of stealing fish from a pond belonging to the minister’s family.

A source said five persons, who used to guard the minister’s pond, allegedly beat up the youth with bamboo sticks after they allegedly caught him red-handed with the fishing net.

Tension erupted in the area after villagers demanded strong action against the persons, allegedly close to the minister, accused of torturing the youth.

“As police did not take any step against those accused of torturing the tribal youth on Monday, a narrative spread in the area that cops will not act because the guilty are close to the minister. As the police did not act, on Tuesday a mob moved towards the minister’s house. They forcibly entered the house, damaged gardens, ransacked furniture and broke window panes. Police remained a mute spectator to the attack as the large gathering was beyond the control of the cops,” said a source in the East Burdwan administration.

After the attack on Mazumdar’s house, police said two separate cases — one for Monday’s torture of the tribal youth and another forTuesday’s vandalism at the minister’s home — had been lodged.

“We have started a probe into both incidents and will take legal action. On Tuesday the mob also attacked the police while entering the house of the minister. However, the situation became normal and a large police contingent has been deployed to avoid any further untoward incident,” said Amandeep, the East Burdwan police superintendent.

Mazumdar, however, claimed that he had no connection with the incident that took place at his ancestral home.

He accused the CPM leaders of having a hand in Tuesday’s attack.

“I gave up our family pond for local youths to start pisciculture for the betterment of their lives. Those who were guarding the pond had caught someone red-handed and allegedly beat him. The issue was settled on Monday. However, it was the local CPM leaders who instigated the villagers and led the mob to mount an attack on my house,” said Mazumdar.

“I don’t live there but I always look after the welfare of the local people. We have very good relations with the villagers as my forefathers had set up schools three. Recently we have set up a new college also,” added the minister, who lives in West Burdwan’s Durgapur.

CPM leaders, however, dismissed the minister’s claim.

They said that Tuesday’s rage was part of the ongoing ire against Trinamul leaders for their role in corruption.

“There was no involvement of the CPM in it. It was an eruption of spontaneous rage of the common people against Trinamul. It reflected people’s anger against Trinamul leaders for their involvement in corruption,” said Apurba Chattopadhyay, a CPM state secretariat member in East Burdwan.