Reported by Avik Chakraborty
Dibrugarh: Tension gripped Namtola Tea Estate in Assam’s Charaideo district on Wednesday after the death of a tea garden worker sparked protests by labourers, who suspended work and demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.
The deceased was identified as Ishwar Munda, who was engaged in leaf-weighing duties at Section No. 5 of the estate on Tuesday.
According to fellow workers, Munda did not return home after work, prompting his family members and local residents to launch a search. His body was later found inside the tea estate premises.
Personnel from the Namtola Police Outpost reached the spot, recovered the body and sent it to Charaideo District Hospital for post-mortem examination.
The incident triggered protests among tea garden workers, who halted work on Wednesday and sought answers over the circumstances surrounding Munda’s death.
Protesters alleged negligence on the part of the tea estate management and questioned why supervisors and sardars on duty had not informed the family after Munda failed to return home.
Meanwhile, the local unit of the Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATSA) submitted a memorandum to the estate authorities, demanding a fair investigation and adequate compensation for the bereaved family.
Police have initiated a probe, with the cause of death expected to be established after the post-mortem report is received.