Dacoity in a Tea Bungalow

Dhiraj Kumar Barman

I being the "Mistri Saab" of a renowned 100% Orthodox Tea Estate in the Dooars had just got married a few months back in Shillong and was settling down as a married tea planter  buying foreign household items, cut glasses and  Pink Lady tea and dinner sets.

As usual to open the factory at 12 midnight, the duty of "Mistri saab"  was to arrange workers at night, checking the withered leaf on the withering troughs, checking the boiler steaming up to run the line shaft and rolling tables...left  the factory around 3.00 AM after checking the  first drier mouth coming out from the steam heated dryers. 

My newly wed wife was alone in the "Palang Kamra" on the first floor of the sprawling half round bungalow. Night Chowkidar was alert to open the gate knowing fully well that "Mistri Saab" is coming back from "Kol Ghar" any moment.

As I drove my well maintained shiny black Ambassador car into the bungalow portico, the time was quarter past three a.m. I hurriedly climbed the steps of the staircase... knocked on the bed room for my wife to open the door.

Sleep did not come  instantly and may be within half an hour's time of my lying on the bed,  there were knocks at the bed room door from outside. I could hear my Night Chowkidar knocking  repeatedly and calling me "Saab...Saab"....

Thinking that there might be some incident in the factory...I shouted from inside "kya hua" but there was no reply, only knocking. Thinking that there might  be an emergency in the factory, I opened the bed room door.

Hell broke loose. Four persons armed with pistol and khukri entered the bedroom threatening us, "maar dinchu", "kat dinchu"..."chabi...chabi"....which was handed over to them out of fear and pleading them not to physically harm us. By then they had  opened the Godrej Almirah and took away my wife's marriage gold jewellery, sarees, valuables, wrist watches and two-in-one on the bed side tables: putting every thing in pillow covers they  decamped with my car key.  Suddenly the thought came to blow the "siren" which was blown but too late.

We were scared to move out of the bed room but  could hear the engine of a vehicle being started and driven away. Badly shaken and shivering,  we both moved down the staircase to find my shiny black Ambassador car missing from the portico and the bungalow chowkidar lying on the verandah, hands and feet tied.

By then some people from servants quarters gathered followed by my colleagues and Burra saab, followed by the police around 10.00 AM.

For almost a week we were being invited for lunch or dinner to neighbouring bungalows as people wanted to know about the incident. Our confidence was gradually building up to narrate the horrible incident in the form of a story.

It was the first dacoity in a Tea Bungalow in the Dooars as the GNLF movement had started.Though the police investigation continued for sometime  nothing could be recovered except my shiny black Ambassador which was found abandoned on the road side near Ghoom (Darjeeling). The car had a long scratch on its left side, may be the dacoits hit a bridge or a culvert. 

Managed to drive down with a driver cum mechanic after due formalities completed at the Ghoom Police Station.

As a good gesture our company had sanctioned  financial assistance, without creating any precedent, a sum of Rs.20000/- which was invested to make some gold jewellery for my wife to wear on occasions.

It is almost 31 years now...never disclosed to both my sons... and both me and my wife quietly thanking God for saving our lives from that dreadful incident.

Dhiraj Kumar Barman

(Still a tea planter with innumerable real incidents to narrate in the near future)

Dhiraj and his lady, Gargee (Jurie)