Siliguri, 09th February: Despite Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s directives, the reign of land mafias continues in Siliguri. A recent incident from the Matigara police station area has brought this issue to light.
According to the complaint, a person’s house was vandalized after he refused to pay a so-called “Dadagiri tax” to land mafias. The incident involved eight accused, and a complaint was filed at the Matigara Police Station. After nearly a month of investigation, the police arrested one of the accused, identified as Pappu Roy, from the Fulbari area on Saturday.
On January 10, a woman, Bipasha Chhetri, filed a complaint naming eight individuals. She alleged that her husband, Sujan Khaling, had bought three kathas (2,160 square feet) of land in the Pachkelguri Mouza under the Matigara police station area in 2021. In 2022, they constructed a house on the property. However, land mafias started demanding a “Dadagiri tax” of ₹5 lakh. When the demand was not met, on January 8, 2025, Pappu Roy and his accomplices allegedly pressured the family to pay the money. Upon refusing to pay so, they threatened to transfer the land to another person. The accused then vandalized the property by demolishing the boundary wall.
Following this, a formal complaint was filed with the police. Based on the complaint, the police arrested Pappu Roy, who was presented in Siliguri court on Sunday. The judge has granted a 3-day remand for the accused. Meanwhile, the police are actively searching for the remaining seven suspects.