Siliguri, Nov. 13: The “divine dream” turned out to be a harrowing nightmare for Biren Barua, who has been locked in a protracted battle with the landlord — the Dey family from Darjeeling — over a 2.5 cottah prime plot in Pradhannagar.

Barua, a truck driver by profession, who was insisting on the Ma Kali wish to build a temple on the plot, held a meeting with local councillor Snigdha Hazra and representatives of the landlord’s family last evening and agreed to relinquish his rights over the property. The meeting was held at the local police outpost where it was agreed that the Baruas would hand over the Kali idol — the centre of the raging controversy — to the authorities and “peacefully move out the house”, a single-storied rundown building.

Curious onlookers gathered outside the Barua residence in anticipation that the idol would be carried out of the house to the local police outpost.

On seeing the crowd, Biren’s wife and two daughters chased the group with kitchen knives, hurling abuses.

“Normality was restored thanks to timely police intervention,” Hazra said, adding that the neighbours have advised the Baruas to get their daughter treated. Though Nibedita — Biren’s 18-year-old daughter — was not the only one who is in need of “couch therapy”, the entire family behaved as if they were “possessed” and attacked the crowd.

The police, however, soon barricaded the house and a magistrate was rushed to the spot, who took custody of the idol.

“The idol had to be taken under custody as it was causing a law and order problem in the area. Tension ran high and we had to defuse the situation . Earlier, fears of hurting religious sentiments had forced us to let the idol be at the Baruas. Last night, Barua had agreed to personally hand over the idol. But, the volte-face of the Baruas this morning had turned the situation volatile. The Barauas’ behaviour had angered the residents. We had to request a magistrate to rush to the spot and take possession of the idol,” said a police official.

Brushing aside charges that the family had faked the entire “miracle”, Barua said had no answer to the way his wife and daughter attacked with the crowd outside.

“Some people are bent on evicting us from the house we have occupied for the last 20 years. We are ready to pay for the land. It is the promoters who are trying grab the plot by evicting us forcefully,” Barua told The Telegraph.

Nibedita had a dream on the night of November 6, where goddess Kali appeared and ordered the family to dig up their back yard and retrieve an idol buried deep inside.

The Dey family, however, had smelled a rat.

Barua had devised a “cleaver” plot to evade eviction. The owners, the dey family from darjeeling wanted the baruas to vacate the house.

Following the ”discovery” of the of the goddess, a stream of “devotees made a beeline to get a closer ”darshan”.

” The deys' ploy had worked to stall the eviction by enacting the so-called miracle for the past few days.