Houses torched after lynching of driver in Naxalbari tea estate

PRASHANT ACHARYA, EOI, SILIGURI, 21 JUNE, 2023 : Enraged over the brutal killing of of thirty-five-year old Sudhir Nagessia, resident of Bijoy Nagar Tea Estate, an Adivasi mob from Hatigicha under Naxalbari block torched four houses, vandalized several others and blocked Asian Highway II on Wednesday. 

The Adivasis burnt tyres and pieces of wood in the middle of the highway and blocked the road by holding bows, arrows, sticks and traditional weapons. Sudhir, a driver by profession, was taking his daughter for treatment to the hospital on Tuesday night when a person called Rabha Roy and his friends attacked him with iron rods  and killing him in front of his daughter.  Roy became violent when Sudhir’s vehicle slightly touched him while Sudhir was turning it near the railway track. Roy and his friends are absconding after the incident. 

Sudhir, who has a pregnant wife at home, was the only the breadwinner of the family. Since Wednesday morning Asian Highway II near Hatigicha in Naxalbari was blocked by Advashi community people demanding arrest of the Roy and his friends. The mob first torched the house and shops of Roy and then vandalized others. 

Four houses belonging to the Rajbanshi community were torched while dozens of others were vandalized by mob at Bada Jharu Jote village in Hatigicha under the Naxalbari block. According to eyewitnesses hundreds of Adivasi youths, including children and women, attacked the houses belonging to Rajbanshi community people, burning four houses to cinders and damaging others. 

Several motorcycles, LED TVs, refrigerators and household items were destroyed and thrown outside.  

Food items and other necessary goods were also scattered all round by the mob.

Many Rajbanshi youths have fled from the village to save their lives. The elderly people are left out, in need of help and support. They are in trauma after the sudden attack by people with swords, bow and arrows and other traditional weapons.  

Following the incident Additional Superintendent of Police Darjeeling Manoranjan Ghosh, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Achinta Gupta, Naxalbari Block Development Officer Arindam Mandal and  Sabhadhipati of Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad Arun Ghosh tried to convince the agitators to withdraw  the blockade.  After assurance from the administration that the accused persons will be arrested within 24 hours the blockade was lifted after five hours i.e at 12: 30pm. 

The agitators threatened to launch an aggressive movement and block the Asian Highway II if accused persons were not arrested within 24 hours. 

Sohan Munda, one of the agitator, said: “Sudhir was brutally murdered. He was attacked with sharp iron rod only over a small issue. While he was attacked by a group, people of  the entire village were mere spectators. No one came forward to save him when he was murdered in front of  his own daughter.” 

Shruti Burman, who was in trauma after the attack said: “Hundreds of Adivasi people entered our house and started vandalizing. 

We ran away to save our lives and when returned found that everything was messed up,  the  gold  ornaments, cash amount of Rs 2 lakh that were saved for daughter’s marriage were looted. We have  lost everything even we don’t’ have food to eat.”

Naxalbari BDO Arindam Mandal said that administration would be supporting the family members of Sudhir. A disaster management team would visit to find out the loss of the villagers caused by the mob attack.