A youth Trinamul leader in Malda’s Harishchandrapur has been accused of demanding money from a local hardware trader, assaulting him and abusing his family after he refused to pay up.

The incident that occurred on Sunday came to light on Tuesday when a trade body of Malda threatened to launch a business strike and demanded accused Durjoy Das be arrested.

Sources said hardware trader Pawan Kedia had recently built a wall on his land.

After some days, some elected representatives of the panchayat — the land is under Harishchandrpaur panchayat of Harishchandrapur-I block — asked him to demolish it.

“They claimed the land belongs to the panchayat and told me I would have to demolish the wall in three days. I did not do it as I have documents to prove I own the land, and I readied my papers,” said Kedia.

But before Kedia could approach panchayat authorities with papers, Durjoy, a youth Trinamul leader and son of elected panchayat member Basanti Das, met him on Sunday, the trader said. “He and some aides asked for money in exchange for settling the land issue. When I said no, they assaulted me at home and abused female members of my family.”

Kedia filed a complaint against Das and some others with the police. “So far, the police have not taken any step against him,” added Kedia.

Jayanta Kundu, secretary, Malda Merchant Chamber of Commerce, said the alleged attack on the trader and police inaction had left the business fraternity disappointed.

Trinamul leaders tried to distance themselves from the incident. “We have no connection with it,” said Jiaur Rahman, youth Trinamul president of Harishchandrapur-I block.

Chanchal SDPO Sajalkanti Biswas said police were probing the case.