The body of a trade union leader of Trinamul was found with multiple injury marks at a tea estate in Jalpaiguri on Saturday night.

Police suspect Sunil Lohar, 48, a leader of Trinamul Cha Bagan Sramik Union in Nedam tea estate of Malbazar, has been murdered.

Lohar had been missing since Friday. “He was last seen on Friday afternoon. His family members searched for him in vain and then informed the police,” said Etowa Munda, a tea garden employee.

The police found Lohar’s body in a bush near the New Mal railway station on Saturday night.

Tea garden workers got agitated. Some of them reached Malbazar police station on Sunday morning and resorted to a demonstration and jostled with the police, demanding swift arrest of the culprits.

Around 10.30am on Sunday, tea workers blocked NH31C, the highway cutting through Malbazar town. The blockade was lifted at around 11am after the police intervened.

“Lohar was a popular face in the tea garden and known in the entire Malbazar block. He had told his family members that he was fearing an attack. Those who have killed him should get exemplary punishment,” said Sushil Prasad, the Trinamul president of Malbazar block.

Police officers are trying to find out if Lohar fell prey to trade union rivalry.

“Over the past few months, there was an underlying tension in Nedam tea estate as trade unions of Trinamul and the BJP were trying to gain control of the garden,” said a source.

Trinamul leaders have kept quiet, but in the police complaint, among the 10 accused, most are BJP workers and local leaders.

Bapi Goswami, the district BJP president of Jalpaiguri, dubbed it a fallout of Trinamul’s internal feud

“Two persons, Rohit Mahali and Anand Mahali, have been arrested, and search is on for some others,” said a cop.