Tea planter shot dead by militants in Assam

A tea garden owner was gunned down and his security guard was seriously injured by suspected National Democratic Front of Bodoland anti-talk faction insurgents in Assam's Sonitpur district on Tuesday.

A group of the NDFB fired 15 rounds on the vehicle of Mahalaxmi Tea Estate proprietor Adilur Rahman at Nagda on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border as he was driving with his security guard towards Baihata Chariali, police sources said.

The planter of the garden was killed and his security guard, Motilal Tirke, belonging to the Assam Tea Protection Force, was grievously wounded, they said.

Tirke was referred to the Gauhati Medical College Hospital, the sources said.

Senior civil and police officials reached the spot after the incident.