Sandeshkhali grabbed attention after a mob attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on January 5.

The officials went there to search the premises of Shajahan Sheikh in connection with an alleged ration distribution scam.

The protesting women in Sandeshkhali alleged that Shajahan and his “gang” including Hazra and Sardar captured swathes of land by force, besides sexually harassing them.

Shajahan’s supporters also took to the streets, further adding to the tension following which prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC were clamped in 19 pockets across seven villages in Sandeshkhali block-II.

The police officer also said that for the alleged land grab issue, a team from the state land department would hold camps and start talking to the locals to understand the degree of the allegation.

“On the land grab issue, there will be a few teams from the land department visiting places, organise camps and accepting complaints,” Kumar said.

On whether actions would be taken against erring police officers, Kumar said, “Yes. Why not? There is no denying that incidents have happened and we had to put in a lot of resources. It means there was something wrong. We are trying to address that.”

Responding to a query on why the police have not been able to arrest Shajahan Sheikh to date, the IPS officer said, “The Enforcement Directorate (ED) have registered a case against him. Have they arrested him?”.

Earlier, SP Basirhat Police District HM Rehman said that he would look into the allegation of a team of the State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, which visited Sandeshkhali earlier in the day, that miscreants snatched a toddler from his mother and threw him on the ground in front of the police.