Siliguri Metropolitan Police handed over the two-story building, located off Sevoke Road here, to the representatives of the Ramakrishna Mission (RKM) on Thursday, five days after an attack had been organised by a gang on the property.

Swami Shivapremananda, the secretary of the Jalpaiguri unit of the RKM, reached Sewak House, located on a plot of 1.59 acres, along with other monks. The police handed over the property to them.

“We need to check whether the building and other belongings are intact. We hope police will take appropriate steps and there will be some positive outcome about the incident,” Shivapremananda said after visiting the property.

He said from Thursday, monks and others would continue to stay at the building. “We will also resume our social and education activities from the property as we had been doing before,” Shivapremananda said.

Armed men, allegedly led by Pradip Roy, a resident of ward 42 of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, had barged into the property on early Sunday morning. They assaulted two security guards and five workers of the RKM. All the seven were taken away in a vehicle and later released.

The RKM authorities filed a police complaint following the incident.

After the incident, police sealed the property. On Tuesday, the property was opened and the police were deployed at the site. Five of the alleged attackers were nabbed on Tuesday night.

Roy also filed a police complaint, accusing Swami Akshayananda, a monk of the RKM, and four others of threatening him. Roy claimed that he was the legal heir to the property.

An FIR was filed against Swami Akshayananda and four others on the basis of the complaint.

In the FIR, charges under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 188 (disobedience to order promulgated by a public servant), 447 (criminal trespass) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC, and the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have been brought against them.

However, the police said off the record that Roy's complaint didn't have a base. “We found out during the investigation that his complaint didn't have a base and the Ramakrishna Mission owns the property. That is why the property was handed over to them today,” said a police officer.

The police are looking for Roy and other alleged attackers.

Siliguri BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh said: “It is surprising that based on the complaint of the principal accused, the police registered an FIR.”

Swami Suvirananda, the general secretary of the Ramakrishna Math & Mission, reiterated Sunil Roy, a resident of Siliguri, had handed over the property to the RKM through a deed of gift. “Swami Akshayananda has been staying in Prayagraj (Allahabad) for years now. We feel the administration knows it and will see that he and Swami Shivapremananda don't face any problem,” he said.