The chief of a Trinamul-run panchayat in Kaliachak-I block of Malda allegedly hit an executive assistant in the panchayat with a revolver's butt on Tuesday.

Accused pradhan of Jalalpur, Zulfikar Ali, has denied the charges. Injured employee Mobarak Hossain is being treated a health centre at Silampur in Kaliachak.

Sources said some panchayat members, including some from Trinamul, had planned to table a no-confidence motion against Ali, alleging around Rs 1 crore, allotted for carrying out development projects, was lying idle for months. Allegedly, executive assistant Hossain had accepted the letter submitted at the panchayat office by some members on the proposed no-confidence motion against Ali.

This angered Ali and he allegedly assaulted Hossain with the butt of a firearm.

BDO Selim Habib Sardar has initiated an inquiry into the incident. The district Trinamul leadership has instructed block leaders to submit a report on the incident as well, sources said.

Ali called the charge a conspiracy against him and said hundreds of people were present at the panchayat office where a vaccination camp was on. "I have not assaulted anyone,” he said.