Shibu Hazra, the Trinamul Congress Sandeshkhali block president and a member of the zilla parishad untraceable till now, was finally arrested from Nyajat, police said.

This came moments after the state police slapped charges of gang rape and attempt to murder against him and arrested leader Uttam Sardar today on the basis of secret statement given by a woman before a court today.

Meanwhile, two senior cops were transferred by the government on Saturday in wake of the continuing tension at Sandeshkhali in 24-Parganas district, under whose jurisdiction the troubled zone comes.

The area has been rocked by protests by women alleging sexual assault by local Trinamul Congress leaders and inaction by the police.

Senior IPS officer Supratim Sarkar, who was earlier the additional director general (traffic), has replaced Siddhinath Gupta as the additional director general (south Bengal).

Similarly, the current deputy inspector general (DIG) of Barasat Range, Sumit Kumar has been transferred as DIG (security). Kumar has been replaced by Bhaskar Mukhopadhyay, who was earlier the DIG of Malda Range.

State government insiders said that the transfers are extremely significant in the backdrop of the expected visit of the full Bench of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the first week of March to take stock of the situation for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Government sources said since Sandeshkhali has already come to the notice of the commission, in all probability it would have asked the government to transfer these senior cops in due course. So, before receiving any such order from the ECI, the state administration thought it prudent to transfer the two officers, they said.

Also on Saturday, the state police finally registered cases under clauses of rape and attempt to murder, against two Trinamul Congress leaders Uttam Sardar and Shibu Hazra.

Sources said that cases had been registered against Hazra and Sardar based on an in-camera statement given by a victim from Sandeshkhali.

The protesting women at Sandeshkhali last week burnt down a poultry farm and a farmhouse owned by Hazra. He has been absconding since then.

State DGP, Rajeev Kumar, while addressing the media tried to allay fears of the local people, particularly the women of Sandeshkahli and also mentioned about slapping charges of gang rape and attempt to murder against the duo but not before mentioning that the state had received no such complaints whatsoever before 6 February.

To Instil confidence among the women Mr Kumar also said that the women of Sandeshkhali need not be afraid of filing complaints, if they face any crime.

The SP of Basirhat, who too conducted a press meet also stressed on ensuring safety and security of the women and came round to admit that charges of atrocities like sexual harassment and molestation against women was a reality and said charges of gang rape and attempt to murder were slapped against the duo of Hazra and Sardar respectively on the basis of a confidential statement made before a court by a woman of Sandeshkhali.