Mamata calls urgent meeting at Nabanna tomorrow, key administrative officials to attend
Allegations of land grabbing and extortion against TMC Youth Leader Papon Chakladar have ignited tension in Mainaguri, Jalpaiguri. The Sarkar family from Ulla Dabri village claims that Chakladar has systematically harassed them to seize land worth crores. Despite filing multiple complaints with the police, no substantial action has been taken, forcing the victims to approach the Superintendent of Police for intervention.
The Sarkar family, comprising Lalit and Prafulla Sarkar, owns 22 bighas of land near the National Highway in Mainaguri. Their troubles began during a family dispute when Chakladar allegedly exploited the situation to extort money and force them off their land. The victims claim that Chakladar used coercion to secure a loan of ₹24 lakh from Prafulla Sarkar, transferring ₹18 lakh to his and his family’s accounts while pressuring the Sarkar family for more.
The situation escalated when Lalit Sarkar’s house was burned down, and he was imprisoned with his family based on cases allegedly filed by Chakladar. Homeless for four years, Lalit approached various authorities for help, but his pleas went unanswered. After securing a High Court order, Lalit recently began rebuilding his home, only to face renewed threats.
The Sarkar family has accused Chakladar of leveraging his political influence as a Yuva Trinamool leader to intimidate them. BJP district secretary Shyam Prasad backed the allegations, accusing Chakladar of a history of land grabbing and extortion in the area.
Chakladar, however, dismissed the claims, alleging that the Sarkar family, with BJP's backing, is filing false cases to damage his reputation. He maintains his innocence and claims he has been a victim of violence himself, having been hospitalized after an attack by Lalit Sarkar.
The ruling party distanced itself from Chakladar's actions. Trinamool’s Mainaguri Block President Shivshankar Dutta stated, “If someone is at fault, the law will take its course. The party does not endorse such actions.” Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police Umesh Khandbahale has remained tight-lipped about the matter.
The incident has sparked significant unrest in the region, with political parties trading accusations and victims demanding justice against alleged political misuse of power.