Chapra (Nadia), Nov. 19: A Class X girl died after being shot through the stomach by a BSF jawan during an alleged attempt to molest her near a border post in Nadia today.

Based on 17-year-old Khukuli Khatun’s dying statement, her uncle said the jawan was drunk.

Police, however, said preliminary investigations suggested the shooting was an accident. “We have found from our preliminary inquiries that the jawan had shot the schoolgirl accidentally. However, our investigation will reveal the truth,” the Nadia superintendent of police, H.K. Kusumakar, said.

District magistrate .S. Meena spoke to the jawans in charge of the border outpost in Hatkhola, 130km from Calcutta. The accused jawan, said to be in his early thirties, was not present but a police officer said his custody would be sought tomorrow.

Khukuli, the daughter of farmer Yunus Mondal, was on her way home from a preparatory test for next year’s Madhyamik when the alleged attack took place.

“My niece was returning home from school when a drunk BSF jawan tried to molest her. When she protested, he shot her at point-blank range. The bullet went through her stomach,” said Khukuli’s uncle, Ramjan Ali.

“I stay in the house adjacent to Khukuli’s. I heard the shot, came out and found my niece lying on the ground. She was conscious,” he added.

Ramjan said he took her to a block hospital on a motorcycle. “On the way to hospital, she told me the jawan was drunk. She said he had tried to molest her and he shot her when she protested,” he added.

After reaching the block hospital, Khukuli lost consciousness and was referred to the Krishnagar district hospital, where she died around 7pm.

An official of an NGO, the child rights classes of which Khukuli used to attend, said villagers had told him of a “commotion”.

“Our inquiries revealed that there was a commotion in the village over an allegation of smuggling and some BSF jawans had beaten up Khukuli’s sister. We heard Khukuli had protested and one of the jawans shot her. BSF jawans entered her house and dragged her away,” said the official of the Chapra Social and Economic Welfare Association.