Krishnagar, Sept. 8: A Trinamul Congress leader and high school headmaster was arrested today for allegedly snatching Rs 15,000 from an illiterate widow after she withdrew the money due to her as part of a central scheme for the poorest of poor.

Subodh Sarkar of Nakashipara, about 130 km from Calcutta, had helped Kananbala Sarkar fill up the forms for Indira Abas Yojna, a housing scheme for those below poverty line.

As Kananbala stepped out of a rural bank on Wednesday, Sarkar, the headmaster of Chapra Baro Andulia High School, asked for the money. When she refused to part with it, he beat her up.

Police said Sarkar had forced her to withdraw the second instalment of the grant. Kananbala had got Rs 25,000 in June ? the first instalment. Sarkar, a member of the Nakashipara panchayat samiti, spared her then. But not when she got the second.

Kananbala lives with her son, a daily wager. Together, they earn less than Rs 500 a month. She had begun building a house with the money she got the first time round.

Circle inspector A. Rashidujjaman said after Sarkar robbed the money, Kananbala rushed to the Nakashipara police station. “He had helped three others in the same village fill up the papers to obtain the money and then forced them to hand over the entire amount.”

“Subodh told us he took the money to build houses for them,” the officer said. “We are trying to find out how much he has misappropriated.”