Police have arrested the suspected mastermind of the murder of Trinamul leader Saifuddin Laskar at Joynagar in South 24-Parganas and claimed factional rivalry as the reason behind the crime.

“Though a section of local ruling party leaders has been blaming the CPM for the murder of Saifuddin Laskar, the arrest of Shaharul Sheikh, 23, a resident of Netra in Diamond Harbour, and his interrogation hint that Saifuddin was killed because of factional rivalry. We are trying to find out the reason for the rivalry,” said a senior officer in Baruipur police district.

The police late on Monday night arrested Shaharul, who had allegedly been engaged by Saifuddin’s rivals as the “prime informer” to share details about the Trinamul leader’s movements.

The police officer said Shaharul had told sleuths that professional killers had been hired to eliminate Saifuddin. Shaharul also claimed on the way to court that Sahabuddin Laskar, who was lynched after Saifuddin’s murder,
was also involved in the crime. Sahabuddin’s wife Jarina Laskar has denied the allegation.

Family members of Sahabuddin, who was a tailor, claimed he was a Trinamul activist and in no way involved in the murder.

“We are all Trinamul supporters for long. But my husband was involved with Trinamul and never had any association with the CPM. He was a tailor and used to live in Akra. Why would he kill Saifuddin, who was known to us?” Jarina asked.

Sources said Sahabuddin had worked for Trinamul rebel Esmotara Biwi.

Shaharul was produced before the additional chief judicial magistrate’s court in Baruipur on Tuesday and remanded in 10 days’ police custody.

Earlier, investigating officials had claimed that Shaharul had during the interrogation said he had been paid Rs 1 lakh and was initially told to organise a “theft”. However, he was eventually brought to Joynagar and asked to keep a close vigil on the movements of Saifuddin.

Police sources said that on Monday night, Shaharul broke down during the interrogation and confessed that based on his information the conspirators chose the small hours of the morning as the ideal time to murder Saifuddin. This, he said, was planned to ensure that the killers could escape easily.

A day after the murder, the subsequent lynching and the violence on CPM supporters at Daluakhaki-Laskarpara village, the police have started three separate cases of murder, lynching and arson.

On Tuesday, led by CPM leaders Sujan Chakraborty, Kanti Ganguly and Shamik Lahiri, the homeless people tried to enter their village, but the police stopped them, apprehending fresh tension.