A youth carrying a sword allegedly climbed to the first floor of a tea garden manager’s bungalow in Alipurduar district early on Sunday morning, broke open his bedroom and entered inside with an intention to kill the official before being overpowered by security guards.

Sunil Kuzur had allegedly been instigated to attack Dalgaon tea estate manager Mriganka Bhattacharya by the priest of a temple in the garden.

Police have arrested the alleged attacker and the priest and posted security personnel at the manager’s bungalow.

Sources said Laxman Sharma, the priest at the temple in the Dalgaon plantation under the jurisdiction of Falakata police station, was allegedly indulging in illegal activities on the premises of the shrine.

“There were reports that he was running a hooch den and every day, drunkards and gamblers would gather there,” said a resident.

When Bhattacharya came to know about the illicit activities, he went to the temple on November 30. The priest didn’t allow the manager to enter the temple that was built by the company that owns the garden. Sharma, sources said, was engaged as a priest with a monthly wage.

An altercation ensued and Sharma threatened and abused Bhattacharya.

The following day, the manager summoned the priest and asked him to leave the tea estate immediately. Some trade union leaders intervened and sought 24 hours’ time for Sharma to leave.

“However, when I saw the priest in the garden on December 2, I asked him why he was still there. He became furious and threatened to kill me,” said Bhattacharya.

Around 1.45am on Monday, Sunil Kuzur of the neighbouring Tasati tea estate reached Bhattacharya’s bungalow carrying a sword. Two guards posted at the bungalow for night duty tried to resist Kuzur but he threatened to kill them and got into the premises.

Kuzur then climbed to the first floor of the bungalow, broke open the door of Bhattacharya’s bedroom and entered inside. The night guards intervened this time and managed to subdue Kuzur.

As the scuffle continued, the manager rang up the police and informed the night guards posted at the tea factory about the intruder.

The guards rushed in and intercepted Kuzur, whose wife is a worker in the Dalgaon garden. They took him to the factory and kept him under watch. After some time, a police team arrived and arrested him.

“We were, too, shocked to react. I had never thought that somebody would try to kill me. Had the guards not intervened, I don’t know what would have happened,” said Bhattacharya, who lives in the bungalow with his wife and daughter.

The police came to know that Sharma had instigated Kuzur to attack the manager. The police picked up Sharma from a neighbouring locality.