Adivasis block Malda-Nalagola highway against alleged 'bribe bid, assault' by civic volunteers
Telegraph | 10 March 2026
Members of the Santhal community blocked the Malda-Nalagola state highway in Malda for nearly an hour on Monday, protesting alleged harassment and bribe demands by civic volunteers at the Rice Mill weekly market area under Habibpur police station limits.
Four civic volunteers were accused of demanding money from a local farmer and manhandling two elected panchayat members, including one from the tribal community.
Sources said farmer Jaydeb Pande was transporting a threshing machine to his mustard field on the highway around 11am when on-duty civic volunteers managing traffic at the weekly market allegedly stopped him and demanded money.
As the news spread, two elected BJP members of the Habibpur panchayat, Sushanta Pramanik and Anchal Tudu, reached the spot and asked the civic volunteers why they had asked the farmer for money.
Pramanik alleged that the two volunteers reacted aggressively. “They became furious, grabbed both Tudu and me by our shirt collars, threatened to teach us a lesson for questioning their actions and even said they could heckle BJP MPs and MLAs if they wished,” Pramanik claimed.
Tudu described the incident as an insult to the local tribal community. “We only protested against their illegal activities. Even after we introduced ourselves as elected panchayat members, they manhandled us,” Tudu said.
As the news of the altercation spread, hundreds of tribal residents from Habibpur gathered at the spot and blocked the state highway, disrupting traffic. Police officers rushed to the area to restore order.
As the protest intensified, accused civic volunteers reportedly fled the scene on their two-wheelers.
Later, Joel Murmu, the local BJP MLA, also reached the spot.
MLA Murmu accused the Trinamool government of neglecting tribal communities.
“President Droupadi Murmu was disrespected by the chief minister and her government. Now, civic volunteers of the state are harassing elected tribal representatives. This reflects how tribal people are treated under the Trinamool regime, which is only indulging in appeasement politics,” said the MLA.
A senior police officer from Habibpur police station said: “We are probing the allegations, and strict action will be taken against civic volunteers if the accusations are found true."