The operations at the tea estate of Duncan Brothers in Sreemangal has returned to normal, as tea workers ended their protest against what they said was the filing of false cases of rape and abduction against some of their number.
The protesters decided to return to work following assurance by the police administration that no one would be harassed unnecessarily in connection with the cases.
Diba Nayek, a worker of Duncan Brothers’ Chatali tea garden, filed two cases with Sreemangal police station against Ram Santal and five or six others, alleging that his wife was raped and daughter abducted by them on Wednesday night.
However, protesting tea workers claimed the cases were false.
Diba filed the case after failing to get a satisfactory result in a land dispute with Ram through the community arbitration process , the protesters claimed.
Tea garden workers of Chatali, Garo, Kolachara, and Fulchara line went into work abstention and held rallies demanding the withdrawal of the cases on Wednesday morning.
Sattya Narayan, president of the governing body of Chatali Govt Primary School, said Diba has a dispute with his co-worker, Ram Santal, over a small piece of land.
A local panchayat (village council) solved their dispute on Wednesday.
“Diba was dissatisfied after the arbitration. That’s why he filed false cases against his fellows including Ram Santal, Ram Ratan kairy Chutka, and the panchayat chief Laxman Bauri,” Narayan said.
The tea garden’s Manager Md Shamim Ahmed said: “The workers observed work abstention on Wednesday morning. But they called off the abstention after police assured that no one will be harassed before investigation.”
Sreemangal police station Officer-in-Charge Md Sohel Rana said: “We are investigating the incident very seriously. Legal measures will be taken against Diba if the cases are found to be false.”
Thursday, April 25, 2024
