The blockade put up by villagers at Poro on Friday. Picture by Anirban Choudhury

Poro (Alipurduar), Feb. 8: A 19-year-old was shot dead by foresters in the Poro beat of the Buxa Tiger Reserve this morning amid allegations that he had been felling trees.

The 12-bore cartridges (in this case pellets) had been fired from a double barrel gun. In protest, around 800 villagers blocked NH31C that connects Jalpaiguri district to Assam for nearly three hours.

The villagers claimed that Shyamul Rava was a cowherd and had gone to the forest with three other teenagers. On his way back, the boys had collected some firewood before the foresters fired at them. Shyamul died on the spot.

However, the foresters have alleged that Shyamul, the only child of Padman Rava and Rajbala, was found felling trees and when challenged tried to beat them up. The foresters said they had fired in self-defence.

“It was a little after 7.30am. The foresters appeared all of a sudden and they fired without warning. The pellets struck Shyamul on the head as he was in the front. When we saw our friend fall, we fled from the spot to inform others,” said Amrit Rava, who had accompanied Shyamul to the forest.

The villagers claimed that the foresters were dragging the body into the interior of the forest when they arrived at the spot, 15km from Alipurduar town

“On seeing the crowd, they fled. Those of us who live in the fringe areas believe that the forest is our home. We look after the forest. The young man had gone to collect firewood — usually dry branches that are found lying around. I have seen the body. The foresters had fired inhumanly. Shyamul was shot on the head,” said Raju Lama, the Ban O Bhumi karmadhyaksha of Kalchini panchayat Samiti.

“The foresters are claiming that the youth is a timber smuggler but few smugglers visit the forest in the morning. We demand the arrest of the guilty men,” he added.

Shyamul’s parents have lodged an FIR with the Kalchini police station against Amal Sarkar, the beat officer of Poro, and four other staff members. All five were part of the team that fired at Shyamul.

The almost three-hour blockade on the national highway was lifted after Gopal Halder, the circle inspector of Kalchini, and Raju Chhetry, the officer-in-charge of Kalchini police station, reached the spot with a large force around 3.45pm.

Deputy field director of BTR (west) A.P. Singh has denied the allegations brought against his staff. “The youths were felling trees and, when challenged, attacked my men. The foresters fired in self-defence. We have lodged an FIR against the gang.”