Like hundreds of youths living in Chopra, which is both the starting point of the north Bengal brew belt and the Siliguri corridor, Tajemul Islam aka JCB had tried his luck by working on tea plantations as a day wage labourer.

“Tajemul, however, had sky-high ambitions and wanted to make quick bucks. Soon, he tried his hand at business, buying leaves from tea growers and supplying the same to factories. Gradually, he found some associates in the business,” said a small tea grower of Chopra, the farthest block in North Dinajpur district, located around 130km from Raiganj, the district headquarters.

As the years passed, Tajemul, who was in his mid-twenties then, got close to Left Front leaders of the Chopra block. Chopra was a stronghold of the CPM then and the Congress was the principal force in the Opposition.

“Initially, he was known for his straightforward approach and would extend help to people. But as the time passed and his coffers started filling up through various means, his approach changed,” the tea grower said.

When the Trinamul Congress came to power in 2011, Tajemul switched sides and became closer to Hamidul Rahaman, the local TMC MLA.

Under Rahaman’s patronage, Tajemul's highhandedness increased and he started to intimidate people.

“He started enforcing his writ on the area. Those who didn't pay heed to him were assaulted and fined by Tajemul and his henchmen,” said a resident of Laxmipur where Tajemul publicly flogged a man and a woman on June 28.

The fear of "JCB" lingers even after has been arrested and put behind bars. The mother of the man, who was brutally flogged by Tajemul, is so scared that she doesn't want any punishment for the accused.

“I want to know who shot the video and made it viral. That person should be punished,” said the elderly woman.

The villagers said apart from being a law unto himself, Tajemul was a de facto ruler of the region, out to ensure the omnipresence of the Trinamool Congress. Anyone who dared to put up the flag of any political party other than that of Trinamool in his house, Tajemul would reach the spot to “teach him a lesson”, a villager said.

“He often convenes ‘insaf sabhas (justice meets)' on different issues and to deal with people who would violate his rulings. If they didn’t fall in line, punishment like flogging was meted out to them. Also, anybody opening a shop or starting a new trade under his jurisdiction must pay him or else, he would ransack the property,” said a villager.

As Tajemul continued his brutal attacks on people and vandalised their properties, he earned the nickname JCB.

“When he was produced in court yesterday (Monday), police referred to 12 cases, including one dealing with a murder, which are pending against him. Yet, till the flogging video surfaced, he was allowed to roam around freely. This shows his political clout that helped him brazenly violate the law of the land,” said Anwarul Haque, the North Dinajpur district secretary of the CPM.

Sources said even though JCB was in police custody, his associates were still on the prowl in Laxmipur and its vicinity to throttle any voice of protest.

“They have warned that anybody found making statements in public against JCB or on the flogging incident or helping the police in the probe will face consequences,” said a source.

Villagers have said Tajemul, who is in his mid-40s, owns a palatial house in Lakshmipur. He travels in an SUV while his associates ride two-wheelers.