Demand for the arrest of more local Trinamul leaders, who are still at large, intensified in the pockets of Sandeshkhali, North 24-Parganas, on Thursday.
The villagers, despite the state government's repeated assurance of a “proper” probe, began fresh demonstrations demanding the arrest of Trinamul leaders like Hazi Siddique Molla, known to be a close aide of Sandeshkhali party strongman Sheikh Shahjahan, now in CBI custody.
Claiming Molla and his men threatened villagers with dire consequences when "things returned to normal”, many villagers in Rampur market area under the Bermajur-II gram panchayat demanded his arrest by staging a demonstration.
Villagers alleged Molla and his goons had been intimidating them ever since they raised their voices against the local Trinamul leaders.
"Molla grabbed the agricultural land of many villagers and converted those into bheris. He also grabbed part of a local school ground where he illegally constructed a mobile phone shop. We told police to arrange to return the land, including the school plot,” a protester said, as he along with others blocked the Sarberia-Dhamakhali road.
Cops dispersed them assuring them justice and asking them to lodge specific complaints. Villagers dispersed but continued to express their lack of faith in the police.
Refuting the charges, Molla said: “The demonstration was politically motivated. I never grabbed any land. If anybody can prove it with documents, I will return that plot.”
The state government distributed land rights (patta) to 365 persons in Sandeshkhali on Thursday. Ministers Partha Bhowmick and Sujit Bose handed over the land documents to the land owners at an event held at Rabindra Bhawan in Basirhat town.
"We are examining complaints and issuing land rights to genuine owners in phases,” an official of the state land and land reforms department said.
BJP leaders stopped
Earlier on Thursday afternoon, a BJP team led by Agnimitra Paul, Bharati Ghosh, and Locket Chatterjee were stopped by the police near New Town on their way to Sandeshkhali. They were detained after a scuffle and a heated exchange of words with police officers. They were released in the evening.
