Mob frees Shahjahan aide from cop van, six policemen injured in Sandeshkhali
Telegraph | 4 January 2026
At least six cops were injured and their vehicle vandalised by a mob on Friday night when they unsuccessfully attempted to arrest a Trinamool Congress worker and a close aide to the party's former strongman Sheikh Shahjahan in connection with a land-grab case in Sandeshkhali, North 24-Parganas.
Police sources said that the mob, armed with stones and bricks, obstructed the arrest of accused Musa Molla, pulled him out of police custody and helped him flee after attacking the vehicle in which he was being taken to the police station.
The incident unfolded around 11pm on Friday when a team from the Rajbari outpost under Nazat police station went to Boyermari-II gram panchayat to arrest Musa for allegedly grabbing farmlands and converting them into fisheries.
The attack revived memories of the episode on January 5, 2024, when a mob allegedly instigated by Shahjahan assaulted Enforcement Directorate officials who had gone to interrogate him in connection with the ration distribution scam.
In Friday’s incident, the police said Musa allegedly used his political clout to grab farmland belonging to one Aizul Gazi of the Boyermari area around three years ago and convert it into a fishery for commercial use.
Local residents alleged that the modus operandi mirrored that of Shahjahan and his aides, accused of forcibly acquiring fertile farmland by allowing saline water to inundate it, rendering it unusable for cultivation before converting it into fisheries or bheries.
Gazi’s land, residents said, was only one among several such parcels taken over in Sandeshkhali, triggering widespread resentment that eventually erupted into mass protests against alleged atrocities, land-grab and intimidation by Shahjahan and his men.
Following Gazi’s complaint, the Basirhat subdivisional court promulgated Section 144 of the CrPC, prohibiting any activity on the disputed land. However, police sources said Musa continued to operate the fishery in defiance of the court order. Gazi informed the court and lodged a complaint with Nazat police.
Notices were issued to Musa both by the court and the police, but he allegedly ignored repeated summonses.
“Musa ignored police summonses and continued his business like an omnipotent person, cocking a snook at the law and the lawkeepers,” a senior police officer said.
On Friday night, after repeated non-compliance, police went to Musa’s residence to arrest him. Officers said Musa initially agreed to cooperate and boarded the police vehicle.
“Suddenly, he dramatically started calling villagers, apparently to incite tension,” an officer said. “A mob soon gheraoed the vehicle and began hitting it with bricks, damaging it, and started pelting stones amid the darkness, creating complete mayhem.”
Police reinforcements were rushed to the spot, and the situation was eventually brought under control. However, Musa managed to flee.
Nine persons, including a woman and the pradhan of Boyermari-II gram panchayat, have been arrested in connection with the attack. A large police contingent has since been deployed in the village to prevent further escalation.
Basirhat superintendent of police Hossain Mehedi Rehman told The Telegraph: “Musa managed to flee amid the violence. We have begun a case against him and others. Nine persons have so far been arrested. We are hopeful of arresting him soon.”
The incident comes amid lingering anger in Sandeshkhali, where months of protests by villagers — particularly women — earlier exposed allegations of systematic land grabbing, coercion and violence allegedly carried out by Shahjahan and his aides.
The CPM, however, alleged that the episode was “scripted”.
Former Sandeshkhali MLA and CPM leader Nirapada Sardar said: “Musa has been ignoring summonses for long, and the local police mysteriously took so much time to act.... The police did not dare arrest him. It appears that a scripted play was enacted, probably to help him flee.”
Sardar alleged that despite Shahjahan's arrest, his network continued to operate with impunity across Sandeshkhali. “Shahjahan is behind bars, but his aides are active and ignoring police and court directives to return land to the original owners. The oppressors continue to enjoy the ruling party’s support,” he alleged.