Maity is the third TMC leader arrested in connection with the alleged atrocities by leaders of the ruling party against Sandeshkhali villagers in the North 24 Parganas district. The other two — Uttam Sardar and Shibaprasad Hazra — were arrested on February 10 and 27, respectively.

On Friday, the protesters in the Bermojur village attacked Maity’s house, and he fled away. On Sunday, when villagers saw Maity, they chased him. He fled and took shelter in a nearby civic volunteer’s house. Later, the police detained him from there. The police, after preliminary interrogation, recorded his arrest on Monday morning.

Maity is known as a close aide of TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh and his brother Sirajuddin Sheikh. Villagers alleged that Maity grabbed their land and drained saline water into it to make them fisheries.

On Sunday, TMC minister Partha Bhowmik disowned Maity and said, “He is no more our party leader. We have already suspended him. If he has done wrong, naturally, people would be angry at him.”

Sandeshkhali has been at the centre of a row after Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers raiding the home of local strongman Shahjahan Sheikh were assaulted in the area on January 5. The ED had gone there concerning an investigation into alleged irregularities in West Bengal’s Public Distribution System (PDS). Later, several women in Sandeshkhali accused Sheikh, who has been absconding, and his supporters of sexual assault and land grabbing.