They first ransacked and chased the family out of home, then warned them of dire consequences if they tried returning, and now they are hounding them out of their temporary refuge.

Even intervention by Alimuddin Street and the state home secretary has failed to chasten Dum Dum?s CPM councillor Swapan Saha and his henchmen.

Ever since being attacked at their Kalidham home, on April 28, Saraswati Sinha and her son and daughter have been staying with Saraswati?s sister, Romola Das (name changed on request), near the airport.

But threats from the councillor?s men have forced Romola to ask Saraswati and her children to leave the house at the earliest.

?My sister has asked us to leave without delay,? said Saraswati. ?We have nowhere to go and no money to rebuild our Kalidham house that was demolished by the CPM councillor and his aides. We may end up on the footpath.?

Daughter Runu, nursing serious head injuries, added: ?Saha was nowhere to be seen, but his men threatened my aunt last Friday and then again on Sunday for giving us shelter. Where do we go now??

Runu said her aunt had initially ignored the threats. ?But now she feels scared, after what happened on Sunday. Around 8.30 pm, four youths accosted her and told her she would meet the same fate as us if she did not throw us out.?

Saha and his men had wanted a part of the Sinhas? residence for a club. The family refused, prompting the gang to vandalise the house and assault Runu and her brother Somnath. Saha and his five accomplices were arrested on Tuesday, but granted bail on Thursday.

Following the Metro report on May 5, state home secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy has sought a report from the North 24-Parganas administration about Saha and his men.