Kolkata: The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) on Saturday lodged a police complaint alleging that New Alipore Suruchi Sangha, one of south Kolkata’s most prominent Durga Puja organisers associated with former sports minister Aroop Biswas and his brother Swarup, has encroached upon 23 cottahs of LIC-owned land.The development has cast a shadow over the future of the club’s puja. Club president Kingshuk Maitra said he had called an urgent meeting of the “puja organising committee” next week to discuss the way forward.Senior LIC officials visited the site on Saturday and sought police intervention to regain possession of the land. The move comes amid mounting troubles for the influential club following the recent arrest of Swarup Biswas and an FIR being filed against the former minister.“This land belongs to LIC. We have repeatedly raised the issue and approached various levels of the administration over the years, but no action was taken. Following the recent developments and the arrest of Swarup Biswas, we have finally been able to access the property and lodge a formal complaint seeking possession,” said Pankaj Kumar Basu, a senior LIC officer, during his visit to the site.The current market value of the land is around Rs 27 crore-Rs 30 crore.The development comes a day after central forces were deployed in New Alipore following large-scale vandalism at Suruchi Sangha on Friday. Following Swarup Biswas’ arrest, protesters, including BJP supporters, broke locks, entered club premises and allegedly ransacked furniture, documents, banners, flexes and electronic equipment. Television sets and files were dragged out of rooms, while posters and hoardings linked to the club were torn down.“We have also noticed that a permanent structure has come up on the land. We will approach the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to ascertain how construction was permitted on our property without our knowledge,” Basu said.The land dispute is not new. In 2010, TOI reported allegations by LIC officials that Suruchi Sangha had taken possession of the plot in 2008, even before the Trinamool Congress came to power in Bengal. By then, however, Aroop Biswas had already emerged as a significant political figure after winning the Tollygunge assembly seat on a Trinamool ticket in 2006.The earlier report highlighted LIC’s objections to the club holding its annual Durga Puja on the property without formal permission. According to LIC officials, when a complaint was lodged with New Alipore police station at the time, officers advised both sides to settle the matter amicably.Sources said tensions between LIC and representatives of Suruchi Sangha intensified, and pressure was allegedly mounted on the insurance giant to transfer ownership of the plot to the club. LIC officials, however, maintained that the corporation was legally barred from selling the land directly.“Under LIC regulations, we cannot simply sell such land. It can only be developed as a real estate asset and subsequently rented out or disposed of through due process. Revenue generated from such assets ultimately benefits policyholders,” an LIC official said.According to sources, representatives of the puja committee had sought the land as a “donation”. A Suruchi Sangha functionary, however, claimed the club had maintained the ground for nearly five decades and had expected the land to be transferred to the organisation.Meanwhile, the fallout from Friday’s vandalism continued on Saturday, with posters appearing across the club premises carrying slogans critical of the Biswas brothers. Some of the posters read: “VIP culture nipat jaak, Suruchi New Alipore odhibasider thaak”, “Biswase oruchi, tai bondho holo Suruchi” and “Niyom mene hobe puja, Biswasera hobe soja.”TOI also found large sections of the ground covered with green net view-cutters and tarpaulin sheets bearing markings such as “Govt of West Bengal” and “Not for Sale”. The materials appeared to be relief supplies, raising questions about how they came to be used within the club premises. Local residents alleged the items had not been distributed for their intended purpose and were instead being used by the club.