TMC leader Ajit Maiti detained in Sandeshkhali on land grab charges

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Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas on charges of land grabbing from villagers, news agency PTI reported. The report said Maiti, a close aide of fugitive Shajahan Sheikh, was detained from the residence of a civic volunteer where the TMC leader had locked himself for over four hours after being chased by villagers. "We detained him following complaints of land grabbing by villagers.

We will look into their complaints and then decide on arresting him," PTI quoted West Bengal Police as saying. Angry villagers had attacked Maiti a couple of days ago for his alleged ties with Shajahan and his group, allegedly involved in land grabbing and torture of local women. It is important to note that absconding TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh is accused of blatant misuse of his power.

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has accused the TMC leader of torturing tribals and even forcibly taking their MNREGA wages if they dared to vote against Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) party in Sandeshkhali, PTI earlier reported. The politician, who is currently facing accusations of land grab and sexual assault under coercion, and his accomplices were allegedly “protected" by the West Bengal Police, complainants told a three-member National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) team. The panel also found that Shahjahan would make illegitimate demands from the locals like asking women to meet him at night.