Sandeshkhali: Another TMC leader, accused of land grabs, arrested by Police

TMC leader Ajit Maity from Sandeshkhali has been arrested by Bengal police on Monday, after detaining him on Sunday evening. Maity has been accused of illegal land grabs. In over 70 complaints out of 100 that police have received at their camps, named Maity for forceful land grabs. A close associate of absconding TMC leader Seikh Shahjahan and his brother, Maity was chased by mob at Bermujur village on Sunday afternoon, he had later taken shelter inside a house. Protest and tension had erupted at the Bermujur village over Maity on Sunday. Police had later rescued him from that house where he had locked himself inside and detained him.

After Shibu Hazra and Uttam sardar, Maity became the third TMC leader to have been arrested by police since the protest that erupted in Sandeshkhali three weeks back. While people have been demanding the arrest of Seikh Shahjahan, police maintain their FIR against Shahjahan was stayed by Calcutta High Court at the insistence of Enforcement Directorate, thereby limiting Bengal police from pursuing the case against him. Police have registered a FIR against Shahjahan’s brother Seikh Shiraj after villagers alleged illegal land encroachment against him. 

State government of Mamata Banerjee has assured that every complaint will be pursued and those whose land been taken away illegally will be given lands back. The state had opened camps inside Sandeshkhali at different villages to receive complaint from people. Several people have submitted written complaints of their agricultural lands being taken away forcibly and converted into wetlands for fish cultivation without paying them any lease or compensation money. Most of such complaints had been against Seikh Shahjahan and his associates Uttam Sardar and Shibu Hazra. Government has started the process of returning lands to their rightful owners. Bengal Police DGP Rajiv Kumar had visited Sandeshkhali thrice, last week while assuring aggrieved people of action and justice. But police have also warned people of taking law into their hands. Protest broke out, yet again in Sandeshkhali’s Bermujur village after villagers spotted Ajit Maity near to an event attended by TMC delegation led by ministers Partha Bhowmick and Sujit Bose.