Digboi: Normal life came to a standstill in Digboi town on Thursday following a bandh called by the Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATTSA) and the All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam (AASAA) to protest the alleged killing of a tea garden worker.
The shutdown was triggered by the death of Budheshwar Gorh, a resident of Bogapani Tea Estate belonging to the tea tribe community, who allegedly died after being assaulted at the Chariali fish market. All business establishments in Digboi remained closed, disrupting vehicular movement and daily activities.
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According to sources, Budheshwar had gone to the fish market around 5 am on February 11 with two companions to collect discarded vegetables to feed pigs. A group of traders allegedly accused them of stealing fish and attacked them. While two companions managed to flee, Budheshwar was reportedly caught and brutally beaten.
He was first taken to Digboi Police Station and later admitted to Digboi Civil Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Police have detained five persons in connection with the incident, identified as Sher Khan, Ramzan Khan, Ajit Ali, Chano Bhattacharya, and Vikram Sahani. Following his death, members of ATTSA and AASAA, along with local residents, staged protests at the hospital demanding strict action, arrest of all those involved, and exemplary punishment for the accused.
