A tea estate on the outskirts of Guwahati turned into a cauldron of violent protest after a boy died when the proprietor fired at villagers who had gathered near his bungalow to protest his alleged attempt to molest a woman this morning.

Police seized a Winchester rifle and a revolver from Mridul Bhattacharjee, the proprietor of Rani tea estate, but struggled to extract him from the estate as villagers went on the rampage demanding that the man be handed to them for street justice.

Security forces fired tear gas shells and wielded the baton for nearly eight hours during which time the villagers relentlessly attacked the estate property, reducing it to ashes.

The largely outnumbered security forces watched helplessly as they were more worried about protecting Bhattacharjee, who had confined himself to his bungalow, which is protected by an electric fence.