Dibrugarh, February 13 Tea garden workers and various organizations held protests in Digboi, Assam's Tinsukia district, on Friday, demanding justice for a young man who was killed by a mob, officials said.
Markets and shops were closed, and National Highway 38 was blocked by protesters for several hours, disrupting traffic, they said.
The deceased, 26-year-old Buddheswar Garh, was a sanitation worker and belonged to the Adivasi tea community. A group of fish traders allegedly attacked him on Thursday, accusing him of stealing fish from Digboi Chariali Bazar.
Garh, a resident of Line No 10 of Bogapani Tea Estate, died at the Digboi Civil Hospital the same day, following which tension gripped the entire oil town.
Garh's death sparked widespread outrage among the tea garden community and Adivasi groups.
Organizations like the Assam Tea Tribes Students' Association, All Assam Adivasi Students' Union, and Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha staged a massive protest in Digboi on Friday.
All markets, shops, and business establishments were closed in Digboi since Thursday, and the protestors also blocked National Highway-38.
His body remained at the Digboi Community Health Centre (CHC) for several hours as the protestors staged a sit-in inside the premises.
The protestors initially obstructed efforts to move the body to Tinsukia Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem examination, demanding strict legal action and firm assurances from the administration. They relented after assurances from the authorities, police said.
Five people have so far been arrested in connection with the incident, Tinsukia Senior Superintendent of Police Mayank Kumar said.
They are Sher Khan, Ramjan Khan, Bikram Sahani, Ajim Ali, and Sonu Bhattacharjee.