A Bharatiya Janata Party panchayat chief has been arrested in West Bengal after he was involved in a scuffle with a pregnant woman, lost her baby after she was kicked in the stomach during the fight. Palash Kumar Biswas, from Dhubulia in the state’s Nadia district, and four others have been arrested, the police told PTI on Wednesday.

The incident took place on Wednesday night during a musical programme. The woman’s brother-in-law, Shambhu Chandra Das, was allegedly assaulted when he protested that the microphone’s volume was too high. The police said Mayarani Santra, the pregnant woman, was kicked in the stomach when she tried to intervene. Santra was taken to Dhubulia Rural hospital and then referred to Krishnagar Sadar Hospital, where she lost her baby on Thursday afternoon.

Biswas, however, claimed innocence. He told PTI that he was not involved in the incident and accused the ruling Trinamool Congress Party of framing him.