West Bengal Animal Resources Minister Nure Alam Chowdhury was assaulted and kept confined by a mob for over eight hours at a college here today in Birbhum district over a disputed land.
Chowdhury, a former High Court judge, was injured but could not be taken to hospital as he had been held up in a room of the college since 11.30 am and a mob laid siege to the college, Superintendent of Police C Sudhakar said.
The minister, who is MLA from Murarai in the district, was released at 8 pm after a prolonged negotiation meeting attended by the district administration, authorities of the college and the mosque.
Additional District Magistrate Bidhan Roy, who was in the negotiation meeting said, "It has been decided to hold a meeting in Suri on September 8 to sort out the problem."
Chowdhuty was brought to Suri circuit house after his release.
The dispute arose a couple of years back when a mosque allegedly encroached into a land, owned by a trust headed by Chowdhury at Dokhalbati village on the outskirts of Rampurhat where a the Asleha Girls' College is situated.
The college is named after Asleha Beghum, mother of the minister.
