Malda ‘assault’ plaint against BSF jawans

Malda: Four civic volunteers were allegedly assaulted by a BSF patrol team in a border village under Habibpur police station here on Tuesday night while a panchayat member too was roughed up in an attempt to save the victims. All five are in hospital.
Police have lodged a suo motu complaint against the accused BSF men and North Malda MP Khagen Murmu has vowed to raise the issue of “BSF highhandedness with the home department”.The BSF brass has denied assault and said the civic volunteers were “stopped” because they defied night curfew.
The volunteers were returning from duty at Habibpur thana when they were accosted at Kedaripara village by jawans of BSF’s 159th Battalion, led by an assistant commandant. The BSF men were allegedly drunk and abusive. When the civic volunteers protested such behaviour, they were beaten up.
Baidyapur panchayat member Santosh Soren, who was passing by with his family, tried to intervene, but was allegedly thrashed as well.
Malda SP Aloke Rajoria said, “We have lodged a complaint against a BSF assistant commandant who is accused of leading an assault on civic volunteers and a panchayat representative under the influence of alcohol. Cases have been lodged under Sections 307 and 308 IPC.”
S S Guleria, BSF DIG (South Bengal), rubbished the charges. “The jawans tried to stop them (the volunteers) because there was a night curfew. However, they did not listen. An argument took place. We are surprised that an FIR has been drawn up. It is most unfortunate, as there shouldn’t be lack of coordination between two uniformed forces. We are trying to amicably sort out the matter,” he said.