Suri, July 6: Birbhum police have slapped stringent charges on the allegedly tortured Parui woman after she participated in a BJP-sponsored roadblock, but have failed to arrest Trinamul leaders accused of attacking cops in the district.

The homemaker, who had accused the police of torturing her with nettle leaves and blades, was arrested on Saturday along with her husband and mother-in-law. They were charged under sections of the Explosive Substances Act that carry a maximum punishment of death or life imprisonment.

But in at least two cases involving attacks on policemen by workers and leaders of the ruling party, the cops are yet to arrest the accused.

In June last year, sub-inspector Amit Chakraborty was injured after suspected Trinamul-backed goons hurled bombs at him in a Dubrajpur village he had raided. He died from the injuries a month later.

The police team probing the case has said the prime accused is untraceable though some Trinamul leaders have conceded he is at his home.

Sheikh Alim, an elected representative of the Trinamul-run Dubrajpur panchayat samiti, had allegedly led the attack on Chakraborty. Although he has been declared an absconder in the police chargesheet, Opposition parties have alleged that he regularly visits the local Trinamul office.

A senior Trinamul leader in Suri said: "I often meet Alim (at his home in Sulunchi village). However, he does not attend public meetings and processions of the party."

Told about the claim, a police officer said: "Alim is absconding. We are looking for him."

Alim responded to a call from this correspondent today.

Asked if he had been granted bail, the Trinamul leader said: "No, I am living away from my village. I can't go to the panchayat samiti office. I have been framed in the case."

In another case involving an attack on the police, former district Trinamul youth president Sudipta Ghosh repeatedly slapped a sub-inspector inside Bolpur police station in September last year, demanding that he "immediately" arrest a drug peddler.

Although the police started a case, they did not arrest him. Charges under non-bailable sections were slapped against Ghosh and five other Trinamul workers who had accompanied him to the police station. Ghosh roamed freely in Bolpur and was also seen in several party meetings.

In March this year, Ghosh and the five other party workers surrendered in court and were immediately granted bail as the police had submitted the chargesheet but did not arrest them.

A senior police officer said today: "It's a fact that we can't take the same action in all cases."

Arjun Saha, the BJP convenor in Birbhum, said the police played a "pro-active" role when it came to arresting workers of the party but "looked the other way" while dealing with Trinamul members.

A bail plea moved by the arrested Parui woman was today rejected by a Suri court.

Actress-turned-politician Roopa Ganguly and her BJP colleague Joyprakash Majumdar today led a delegation to meet the homemaker in Suri jail and accused the police of conspiracy.

After meeting the woman, Roopa told journalists: "It is painful that the woman is in jail along with her four-year-old son. It is clear that the police are out to take revenge".

Sidharth Nath Singh, the BJP's central co-minder for Bengal, assured that the party would provide legal assistance to the woman.