One tea garden worker was critically injured when his employers allegedly opened fire at a group of labourers after a confrontation over a demand for payment of bonus in upper Assam's Golaghat district today, police said.
The tea workers claimed before the police that the two brothers who owned Bogidhola Tea Estate under Numaligarh Police Station opened fire from their personal pistol when they demanded the payment of their bonus, a police official said.
Angered by the incident the garden workers protested in front of the Golaghat deputy commissioner's office resulting in a violent situation. The police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the mob and about ten plantation labourers, including women, were injured when they fell while running, the official said.
All the injured have been admitted to hospital, the official added.
Meanwhile, the owners of the tea garden, Sudhir Roy and Sammer Roy, were detained by the police after being rescued from the mob, the official said, adding that the police seized a licenced pistol and rifle from them.
One of the brothers claimed before the media that they fired in self defence as the labourers were attacking them, while the other owner, however, denied that they had opened fire.
The labourers claimed that their employer had assured their postponed Durga Puja bonus payment by December 12 following an agreement in the Labourer Commission office on November 18.
The workers of the tea garden were demanding 14 per cent Durga Puja bonus against the 8.33 per cent paid last week, the officials said.
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