Samser Haq in hospital.(Wazir Alam)

Islampur, Dec. 3: Three persons were seriously injured when the Border Security Force (BSF) fired on them at Gowalin near Goalopokhor close to the Indo-Bangladesh border this morning.

Soon after the news spread, hundreds of villagers gathered outside the BSF border outpost at Tin Gaon, shouting anti-BSF slogans. As tension mounted, senior police officials, including sub divisional police officer David Lepcha arrived at the site.

Deputy inspector- general of the BSF, Raiganj sector, S. Venwat also visited the site where the firing had taken place.

The injured were taken to Islampur sub-divisional initially. Later, they were referred to North Bengal Medical College Hospital in Siliguri. The condition of Mohammed Tazibul who sustained bullet injuries on his chest is serious.

Both the BSF and the villagers have lodged separate written complaints with Goalpokhor police station. All the injured, Mohammed Tazibul, Samser Haq and Azibur Rahman are the residents of Gowalin village.

The BSF said it had challenged Tazibul and his associates around 5.30 am while they were smuggling cattle to Bangladesh. They started throwing stones at the BSF men who were posted at Tin Gaon border outpost (BOP).

Two other BSF jawans came out from the BOP and opened fire at the smugglers, injuring three. The other members of the gang, however, managed to flee.

The villagers rubbished the allegation. They said when a woman had come out to relieve herself, the BSF jawans started chasing her. She raised an alarm after which, an altercation started between the villagers and the BSF men.

“All of a sudden the BSF started firing at us ,” Riaz Uddin, a villager said.

District magistrate Sukumar Bhattacharyya said a police inquiry had already been started. “We are keeping a close watch on the situation. If required, we might order a magisterial inquiry as well,” he added.