A magistrate-level officer in charge of an Election Commission flying squad was assaulted allegedly by a group of BJP supporters at Hanskhali in Nadia on Wednesday night.

Suman Mallick, an inspector of cooperative societies, was assaulted around 7.30pm when he was leading the flying squad in removing party flags from public space at Gournagar. Sources said Mallick had also been deputed to investigate complaints lodged with the C-vigil mobile app.

“His accompanying team fled immediately upon seeing the BJP goons turn violent,” said an eyewitness.

Hanskhali block development officer Amitabha Bhattacharya was reportedly informed about the attack immediately and rushed to the site. Hanskhali police said they had initiated a case against 20 unidentified persons on Thursday afternoon on the basis of a complaint lodged by the BDO.

The BDO said a police team accompanying the flying squad had fled when the mob was beating up Mallick.

According to local sources and the police, about 20 BJP supporters vandalised the flying squad’s vehicle as well.

A member of the team who fled the attack said: “We were executing instructions of

the commission regarding a complaint of illegally affixed flags at public places.

Accordingly, we were removing the illegally planted flags from various public places in Mayurhat panchayat when BJP supporters tried to prevent us.”

“Soumitra Debnath, a video photographer accompanying the squad, was also beaten up severely. He was admitted to a hospital,” the squad member added.

Krishnaganj BJP candidate and incumbent MLA Ashis Kumar Biswas rejected the involvement of his party in the incident. “The local BDO has been playing a proactive role in implicating BJP supporters according to the instruction of Trinamul leaders so that they can get clear ground on the day of the election.”

On Thursday evening, the BJP lodged a complaint with EC, accusing the Hanskhali BDO of “prejudicial” and “biased” behaviour.