Tea garden shuts down over attack on assistant manager

Darjeeling: The North Tukvar Tea Estate, popular as Singla Tea Garden in Darjeeling, has been locked out following an attack on the assistant manager of the garden.

The incident occurred on Thursday morning. "On the night of January 8, a group of youths arrived at the assistant manager's bungalow in an inebriated state and tried to create trouble. They vandalised the bungalow and broke some light bulbs. When an alarm was raised, the guards arrived along with local residents and they were taken away. On Thursday morning at around 7:30 am, when assistant manager Om Prakash Chautiya was walking to the field, he was attacked by two persons from behind. One of the assailants attacked him with a sickle. He received a deep gash on his head. Bleeding profusely, he fell to the ground," stated a source from the management.

Grievously injured, the assistant manager, who is in his mid forties, was rushed to Darjeeling Sadar Hospital, from where he was referred to Siliguri.

At present, he is under treatment in a private nursing home in SIliguri with severe head injuries and a fractured left arm.

Two persons have been named in the FIR lodged by the management, with Dipesh Limboo as the main assailant and Vikash Subba for being part of the conspiracy.