A Trinamul worker, arrested by police for a crime, fled from police custody on Monday at Sitalkuchi of Cooch Behar when a group of TMC supporters intercepted the cops and resorted to protests against his arrest.

Senior police officers have ordered an investigation of the incident.

Sources said the incident occurred when district TMC president Avijit De Bhowmik and district TMC chairman Girindranath Barman, accompanied by other party leaders, went to Karjir Dighi village in Sitalkuchi near the India-Bangladesh border to interact with the villagers.

“Chief minister Mamata Banerjee told us to be on alert and also create awareness in border villages to prevent illegal activities and crimes,” said Barman, adding that they went to Karjir Dighi and two other villages.

Around 1.30pm, while the meeting with villagers was on at the ground of Karjir Dighi Primary School, TMC worker Sushanta Barman reached the local market around 200 metres away from the school.

Sushanta, police sources said, had a domestic violence case pending against him.

As the police got information about Sushanta’s whereabouts, a Sitalkuchi police team went to the spot and took the accused into custody.

While they were taking Sushanta to the vehicle, a group of TMC supporters rushed there from the meeting, stopped the police team, and resorted to protests.

Cops tried to pacify TMC workers, explaining that Sushanta had a case registered against him and thus was arrested.

TMC supporters, however, went on demanding he be released.

Additional police forces reached the spot to control the situation. During this chaos, Sushanta managed to give the police the slip and fled the spot

District party chairman Barman, when asked about the incident, said he was not aware of what transpired.

“As we left the spot soon after the meeting at Karjir Dighi village, local people had an altercation with the police. We do not have detailed information. During the meeting, nothing untoward happened,” he said.

Police sources said as Sushanta fled from custody, a probe had been ordered and cops were searching for him.

During the meetings at the border villagers of Karjir Dighi, Nagar Singimari and Mirapara, people mentioned a number of issues, said the district TMC chairman.

“Farmers in these villagers have told us that there are some gates at the border fence that are opened after two or three days. Those who have agricultural land beyond the fence cannot go to their plots every day for agricultural work. Their crops suffer, impacting their livelihood and earnings. We will send a report to chief minister Mamata Banerjee so that this issue is taken up with the BSF,” Barman said.

“We have also noted certain issues related to panchayats. We will continue visiting the border areas of our district to gather more information about those places,” added Barman.