The Tinsukia district administration demolished the Urban Taste Restaurant at Makum on Tuesday afternoon following massive protests by the All Tea Tribes Students' Association (ATTSA) and members of the tea community. The protests erupted over the death of Mukut Urang, who succumbed to injuries sustained in an alleged assault earlier this month.
Details of the Incident
Mukut Urang, 52, a resident of Gangabari Gate Line under Makum in Tinsukia district, died at around 4 am on Tuesday at Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh, where he was undergoing treatment. According to Urang's son, the sequence of events began on June 12, when two workers of the Urban Taste Restaurant, who were known to Mukut and his family, came to Mukut's village. All three consumed alcohol together at the village, after which they went to the restaurant together. Imran Siddiqui, the proprietor of Urban Taste and a resident of Purana bazaar in Borhapjan, came to know that the trio had been drinking and flew into a rage, brutally assaulting all three of them. Mukut sustained severe injuries from which he never recovered, dying four days later in hospital.
Public Anger and Protests
News of Urang's death spread rapidly and triggered an outpouring of public anger. Thousands of people, including members of ATTSA and the wider tea community, took to the streets and blocked National Highway 37 at Makum, paralysing traffic for an extended period. Demonstrators raised slogans demanding justice for the victim, eviction and demolition of the restaurant, adequate compensation for the bereaved family, and the harshest punishment permissible under law for those found responsible.
Administrative Action
Amid mounting public pressure, Makum police arrested Siddiqui and sealed the restaurant. As public anger did not subside, with the protestors refusing to call off their protest, the district administration subsequently ordered the demolition of the Urban Taste Restaurant on Tuesday afternoon, a move seen as a direct response to the scale and intensity of the protests.
Legal Proceedings
Police have registered a case under Sections 109(1), 196(1), 351(3), 117(2) and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 27 of the Arms Act, against Siddiqui. A pistol was also allegedly recovered from the possession of the accused, adding a further dimension to the case.
Community Response
ATTSA members, while welcoming the arrest and the demolition, said they would continue pressing for justice. "A member of our community lost his life. We want justice, compensation for the family and assurance that such incidents are not repeated," said an ATTSA representative at the protest site. Heavy deployment of police and security personnel was made across Makum and surrounding areas to prevent any further untoward incidents.
