Absconding Trinamool Congress strongman and party leader Shahjahan Sheikh, who was on the run for 55 days, was arrested by West Bengal Police early Thursday from a house in the Sundarbans in North 24 Parganas district of the state.

Shahjahan and his aides are the key accused in cases of land-grab and sexual harassment that surfaced following violent protests led by women in Sandeshkhali island of North 24 Parganas district.

He had been absconding since January 5 after a team of anti-money laundering agency Enforcement Directorate officials was attacked by a mob of his supporters near his residence in Sandeshkhali.

More than 100 complaints were registered against Shahjahan in the last few weeks as Sandeshkhali was rocked by violent protests led by women demanding his arrest. He has been booked under IPC sections 376D (gang rape) and 307 (attempt to murder), they said.

According to police, most of the complainants alleged Shajahan forcibly took over land from the people and tortured the women of the area.

Shahjahan, whose activities have raised a major political firestorm for chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s government, was apprehended from a house in Minakhan, around 30 km away from the island of Sandeshkhali on the outskirts of Sunderbans in North 24 Parganas district, following a Calcutta High Court order. Sheikh was hiding in the house along with a few associates, they added.

Sheikh was taken into custody within 24 hours of the Calcutta High Court declaring that the Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate (ED) or West Bengal Police was free to arrest him.

The TMC leader was traced with the help of his mobile phone's tower location, a police officer said. "Shahajahan Shiekh was changing his location from time to time. He was spotted with the help of his mobile phone's tower location," he said.

Shahjahan had been absconding ever since a team India’s anti-money laundering agency Enforcement Directorate that went to raid his house in connection with the alleged ration scam was attacked by a mob of around 1,000 people on January 5.