The special operations group and a team of Bhaktinagar police station under the Siliguri Metropolitan Police arrested Pradip Roy, the prime accused involved in the attack at a property of Ramakrishna Mission in Siliguri, late on Saturday evening.

On May 19, a group of goons led by Roy had barged into Sewak House, a property of RKM located off Sevoke Road in ward 42 of Siliguri. They had allegedly assaulted security guards and some workers, forced them to board a vehicle and later released them with threats in different locations near the city.

The attack was organised to grab the property. Roy had claimed that he was its legal heir. After the incident, Swami Shivapremananda, secretary of the Jalpaiguri unit of RKM — the property is managed by the unit — had filed a police complaint. Roy, too, had filed a counter-complaint.

Based on the complaints, the police had registered separate cases. However, a sudden move by the police to bring charges under non-bailable sections against a monk of RKM and some others drew flak from various quarters.

However, the police continued the probe into the property case and eventually found Roy’s claim to be baseless as it was proved that RKM was the property's legal owner. The police then handed over the property to RKM authorities.

Siliguri mayor Gautam Deb reached Sewak House and handed over papers of mutation and holding tax to the representatives of RKM.

During the course of investigation, the police nabbed nine persons in phases. Roy however, continued to elude the police. Finally, he was arrested on Saturday.

On Sunday, he was produced at a local court in Jalpaiguri. The court heard the case and ordered three days in police custody for Roy.

“Pradip Roy was the principal accused of the incident. The court today (Sunday) rejected his bail plea and has sent him in police custody for three days,” said Sindhu Kumar Roy, a government lawyer.

The incident, which occurred during the Lok Sabha elections, got political colour as even Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to the attack while slamming the ruling dispensation of Bengal.

On Sunday, Shankar Ghosh, the BJP MLA of Siliguri, visited Sewak House and met the monks and other representatives.

“It is not possible for Pradip Roy alone to intimidate the RKM authorities and grab the property. There is some larger conspiracy and I suspect some influential people who are associated with Trinamool were behind the plan,” said Ghosh after his visit.

He also slammed the police for registering cases against a monk of RKM on the basis of Roy’s complaint.

“The police acted in haste and registered the case against a monk. It seems a section of police officers are working in connivance with the land grabbers. A probe should be conducted against such officers,” the MLA added.

Mayor Deb, also a Trinamool veteran, reacted sharply to Ghosh’s remarks.

“He (Ghosh) should come out with some specific proof. Or else, he should apologise for trying to malign our party and the police,” said Deb.

Additional reporting by our Jalpaiguri correspondent