A grocer based in Malda's Habibpur block filed a complaint with the police on Wednesday, alleging that an elected BJP panchayat member took a "cut" from him even before he received financial assistance from the state government under the Banglar Awas Yojana and wanted another installment after he got the money.

Grocer Sariyan Choudhury accused Gobinda Choudhury, a BJP member of the Rishipur panchayat of the block, of taking ₹20,000 from him even before he received the first installment of ₹60,000 from the state to build a “pucca” house.

“One of his associates took the money from me," he said. "Recently, after the first installment was credited to my bank account, the panchayat member concerned messaged me again, asking for another ₹10,000. I refused to pay him this time,” said Sariyan.

According to him, Gobinda and his associates intercepted him in the Debinagar area on Wednesday, asking for the money. "When I asked him why I should pay him ‘cut’ twice, he got angry and his associates beat me up. I went to a local hospital for treatment and later filed a complaint against him with the police,” Sariyan added.

Gobinda denied the charge. "Since I am the leader of the Opposition in the Rishipur panchayat, this is a ploy to defame me," he said.

Local TMC Habibpur leader Keshto Murmu said the Centre had stopped funding the housing scheme in Bengal sometime back, prompting the Mamata Banerjee government to give money to poor people for building houses. "But now, a section of the BJP panchayat members are taking cuts from the poor. The police should take stringent steps against such people,” said Murmu.

Habibpur police officers said they had received the complaint and started a probe.