Ganesh Das, Trinamool Congress Councillor of ward 8 of Naihati Municipality was beaten up by sand mafias when he protested against illegal excavation on Thursday morning. The accused sand mafia Manoj Das is absconding. The incident has happened at a time when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has over and again asked the administration to take stern actions against sand mafias. In the administration meeting held in East Burdwan in early July, she had instructed the administration to take stern actions against sand mafias. She also cautioned her party workers that anyone having ties with them will be thrown out of the party. The trouble began on Thursday morning when Ganesh Das stopped Manoj and his associates from filling up lorries with sand. On being challenged, the mafias told Das that they had obtained permission from North 24 Parganas district administration to lift sand. When Das told them that lifting of sand was not allowed in Barrackpore industrial belt, the accused along with his henchmen beat him up. They also abused him and threatened Das of dire consequences. Seeing policemen, the criminals fled. The police have initiated a search for the accused. Local residents alleged that Manoj and his associates have been lifting sand from the river bed for quite some time now. They have told local people that they would have to face consequences if they try to complain to police.