Cooch Behar tensed after BSF firing kills suspected cattle smuggler

Kolkata, Dec 24 (IANS) Tension is prevailing in the India-Bangladesh border area in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district after a suspected cattle smuggler was killed in BSF firing near the border outport there.

The deceased has been identified as Prem Kumar Burman (24), a resident of Gitaldaha village in Cooch Behar district. There is tension in the area over the contradictory claims made by the BSF and the local residents regarding Burman's association with cattle smuggling.

The BSF personnel have claimed that the deceased was seen loitering around suspiciously near the border fencing on Saturday morning. According to them, the border guard personnel posted there first verbally cautioned Burman. However, he started quarreling with the BSF patrol team and even attacked a jawan, forcing the security personnel to open fire in which Burman was killed.

However, the family members of the deceased denied the allegations and claimed that he had no connection with cattle smuggling. According to his family members, Burman just went near the border for some work when the BSF personnel fired at him without any provocation.

The additional superintendent of police of Cooch Behar said the body has been sent for post-mortem and a detailed investigation will be initiated after receiving the autopsy report.

Last week, two persons were killed in BSF firing in two separate incidents in Cooch Behar district. One of them was an Indian national.

The Trinamool Congress has been vocal for quite some time against the alleged highhandedness of the BSF personnel posted at different border outposts in West Bengal. In fact, at the recent meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council in Kolkata, which was chaired by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the state government representatives had raised this issue. In reply, Shah had pointed out that checking cross-border crimes is not the sole responsibility of the BSF.