In a rare move, the police arrested an assistant manager of a tea estate in the Dooars on Friday for stealing power and putting up illegal electrified fences around the garden area, which they said had led to the death of a wild elephant earlier this month.

In recent years, this is the first time that a managerial level employee has been arrested on such charges.

The arrest triggered protests as hundreds of workers and their families went up to NH 31C around 11am and blocked it for over six hours, throwing traffic out of gear. Vehicles moving through the stretch had to take detours.

Sources said that on December 4, a wild elephant had strayed inside Haldibari Tea Estate, located under Banarhat police station area of Jalpaiguri district. The elephant came in touch with a live wire that was part of the electrified fence and died of electrocution.

Following this, Partha Pratim Pal, an official of West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) posted in Malbazar, filed a complaint with the police on December 5, alleging that the electricity illegally drawn from a transformer was used to put illegal fences that led to the elephant’s death.

On Friday morning, a joint team of the foresters and police reached the tea estate and arrested Uday Newar, the garden’s assistant manager.

“The tea garden authorities are responsible for the elephant’s death. On Friday, the garden’s assistant manager was arrested. The manager fled,” said V.K. Yadav, the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) of the state.

However, as the news spread, hundreds of workers came out of their quarters to side with Newar and protest against his “unjustified” arrest.

Around 11am, they blocked NH 31C at Haldibari More, which is a prominent crossing near the garden, demanding his release. Vehicles moving through the highway had to change their routes and move via Binnaguri and Telepara.

“We want the assistant manager to be released immediately or else we will continue our movement. He has been arrested without any reason,” said Jyoti Munda, a worker and one of the protesters.

John Barla, the BJP MP of Alipurduar who stays at a tea estate near Banarhat, also reached the spot and joined the protesters.

“Wild elephants roam throughout the Dooars and often stray inside tea estates and human habitats. It is a major problem in this region. The state forest department has not taken any initiative to address the issue but instead has arrested an assistant manager,” said Barla.

While the protests continued in Haldibari More, Newar was produced at the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Jalpaiguri. Mrinmoy Banerjee, a government lawyer, said the court heard the case and sent Newar to the forest department’s custody for five days.

The workers continued their protest against the arrest till around 5pm.

A worker said they withdrew for the time being but if the assistant manager did not return to the garden by the night, they would launch fresh protests at the offices of the forest department and block rail tracks and roads on Saturday.

Senior police officers said they are keeping a watch over the situation.

“Our men are on alert to ensure that there is no breach of peace,” said a police officer.