Three Trinamool leaders linked to Matua Mahasangha arrested for alleged embezzlement

Kolkata, July 4 (IANS) The general secretary and two assistant secretaries of a faction of the Matua Mahasangha, who are also associated with the Trinamool Congress, have been arrested following allegations of embezzlement involving the felling and sale of trees near the Harichand Guruchand Thakur temple in Bagdah in North 24 Parganas district.

The accused belong to the Mamata Bala Thakur faction of the Matua Mahasangha, an organisation representing the Matua community. The local BJP leadership has demanded exemplary punishment for those arrested.

According to police sources, the arrested persons are Pradeep Biswas, Govinda Biswas and Pabitra Biswas. They are also associated with the Trinamool Congress in the area.

There is a Harichand Guruchand Thakur temple adjacent to a field near Helencha Bazar in Bagdah. Several trees stand in the vicinity of the temple.

The accused have been charged with allegedly embezzling money by selling two trees without obtaining permission. A complaint was lodged at the local police station recently, following which the police arrested the three men on Saturday.

The BJP Mandal President of Bagdah Block I said, “They have cut and sold trees in the Hari Mandir area. They are not shying away from cutting trees. They should be given exemplary punishment so that future generations are deterred from committing such crimes. Trinamool leaders across the state are involved in corruption. We, the people of Bagdah, can see it. They should be severely punished.”

It may be noted that the Matuas belong to the Scheduled Caste Namasudra community, many of whom migrated to India during the Partition and later following the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

The Matua Mahasangha is headed by the Thakur family, descendants of Harichand Thakur, the founder of the Matua community, a religious sect of Namasudras that originated in Orakandi in present-day Bangladesh’s Faridpur district.

The Matuas established their headquarters at Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas after Partition.

Currently, one faction of the Matua Mahasangha is headed by BJP MP and Union Minister Shantanu Thakur, while another faction is led by former Trinamool MP Mamata Bala Thakur.

–IANS

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