West Bengal: 2 ‘Bangladeshi nationals’ among 3 killed in BSF firing

The border protection force said around 2:30 am, some miscreants from the Bangladesh side crossed over into Indian territory and tried to smuggle cattle heads by setting up improvised bamboo cantilevers at two places. Though the troopers warned them to go back, they did not pay heed, the BSF said.

“BSF troops utilised non-lethal munition to deter the miscreants, but they attacked with iron dah and sticks causing injuries to the troops,” read a BSF statement.

The force said sensing a threat to their lives, the troopers fired in the air in the direction of the suspected smugglers. “During a search later on, the bodies of two unknown miscreants were found between the border fence and the international boundary. One BSF jawan also received injuries in the incident,” the BSF statement added.

However, the local police put out a different version of events, claiming that the suspected cattle smugglers clashed with BSF personnel at Satbhandari village in Sitai around 2 am. “Three bodies were found and have been shifted from the spot. As per our preliminary investigation, all three persons died in the course of the same incident,” Cooch Behar SP Sumit Kumar told The Indian Express.

The police claimed that BSF personnel opened fire from their service weapons resulting in the death of two persons at the spot. The two dead bodies were found lying on the Bangladesh side of the border fence, the sleuths said, adding that the body of an Indian national, identified as Prakash Barman (35) of Cooch Behar, was found at West Chamt village on the Indian side of the border. The sleuths said that prime facie, it appears that the BSF challenged the suspected smugglers but were allegedly confronted by around 50 of them. Two sickles and two hand grenades were also found at the spot. The BSF claimed that its troopers fired at the suspected smugglers in self-defence and also to stop them from fleeing after they started throwing bricks at them.

Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress MLA from Dinhata, Udayan Guha came down heavily on BSF over the incident and even accused the border force of aiding cattle smugglers.

“The Centre should control the BSF, otherwise, terrible things will happen any time. I have been a witness to BSF atrocities since I was young. They continue to torture people who stay in the border area. The BSF cannot kill anyone under any circumstances. This is why we had voiced our opposition to enhancing the jurisdiction of the BSF,” Guha said, accusing the border force of aiding cattle smugglers.

Questioning the border personnel over the alleged death of an Indian national, Guha added, “The BSF also covers the river bank. It is their duty to stop smuggling. They patrol the area 24×7. How can someone cut the fence without their help? If our first line of defence is weak, how will the country be protected?”

He made the remarks even as Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, state Chief Secretary Harikrishna Dwivedi and Bhalla’s Bengal counterpart Bhagwati Prasad Gopalika met to discuss border-related issues.

“Why did Prakash Barman die after being shot in the head? Smuggling at the border is not possible without the help of the BSF. I am the MLA of the border area. I know the problems of the people there,” the MLA told reporters at a press conference.

The BJP slammed the Trinamool for politicising the incident. “The TMC politicises every issue to strengthen anti-Indian sentiment. Such statements show utter disrespect for our security forces,” a BJP leader said.

On October 11, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had issued a notification, extending the jurisdiction of the BSF by up to 50 km from the international borders in West Bengal, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Assam.