Investigators in the Vedic Village case have found out that apart from grabbing land from farmers, the prime resort’s owner Raj Kishore Modi was also instrumental in buying land around Rajarhat township in a notified area, where the state government was developing infrastructure.

It was in 2004 when the state government had notified 23 moujas in Rajarhat-Bhangor area for development, just outside the Rajarhat township. The government notified that 15 moujas from Rajarhat and eight from Bhangor will be acquired for development under the Bhangor-Rajarhat Development Authority.

Sources said the investigators have now found out that Modi had allegedly bought around 105 acres in the notified area after intimidating local villagers and not even paying them the due amount.

Meanwhile, Azizul Islam alias Khude continues to elude the police despite a series of raids in Hooghly, North and South 24-Parganas over the last week. Azizul is the brother of Trinamool Congress MLA from, Bhangor, Arabul Islam, and his arrest is expected to throw light on the criminal-politician nexus in the Rajarhat-Bhangor area and land grab.

“Raids are on to arrest him. He and Gaffar Mollah are the prime accused,” said North 24-Parganas SP Rahul Srivastav. The investigators have claimed to have established clear links between Gaffar and Modi. They also claim evidence against Gaffar and Modi for land grab and stockpiling of arms and ammunition.

According to them, Modi employed Gaffar to forcibly grab land in Rajarhat and Bhangor areas.