Three CPM workers were arrested on Thursday for beating up and injuring two persons at Rabindranagar, near Mahestala. Both are fighting for life in MR Bangur Hospital.

The incident was the culmination of a festering dispute between trader Gopal Sarkar and local CPM councillor Babul Chakraborty. The party workers, led by the councillor, were pressuring Sarkar to vacate his stationery shop so that the public works department (PWD) could widen the road on which it stood.

A survey in the presence of the deputy superintendent of police (industrial), however, revealed that the shop had not encroached on PWD land. In spite of that, Chakraborty and his men kept up the pressure tactics and ultimately forced the closure of the shop on July 21.

The shop is only a few yards away from the Rabindranagar police station. The cops did not interfere in the matter.

The turn of events immersed Sarkar in deep financial trouble, so much so that he had to discontinue treatment of his daughter, who is suffering from a kidney ailment.

Drinking water supply to the family?s residence was also cut off. The supply had not been restored till Thursday.

The trader lodged an FIR at Rabindranagar police station, in which he complained against the councillor and other workers of the party, but the cops continued to be ineffectual.

The trouble reached a flashpoint on Wednesday, when Sarkar tried to reopen the shop. ?We have been leading a hand-to-mouth existence as I have no other source of income. What is more depressing is that my daughter is becoming weaker by the day. I was left with no option,? he explained.

Sarkar and his brother Sajal, along with employee Uttam Das, were cleaning the shop, when ?some CPM workers, led by the councillor, barged in and started to beat us up. Sajal and Uttam were seriously injured. They are fighting for life in MR Bangur Hospital?, the trader recounted.

He added: ?The men have threatened to kill us. We reported the incident to Rabindranagar police station, mentioning the names of Chakraborty and five of his associates. The cops, however, did not pay any heed to the complaint. We then got in touch with district superintendent of police S.N. Gupta.?

Samir Das, Tapan Das and Surendra Das, alias Chhotu, were picked up from the area on Thursday, as per Gupta?s instructions.

Local legislator Mursalin Mollah was confident the law would take its own course.