A BSF jawan who was trying to prevent cattle smuggling from a border area of Cooch Behar district was allegedly abducted by Bangladeshi criminals early on Sunday morning and released by the BGB late in the evening.
This incident comes at a time when India's relations with Bangladesh are at a low point amid the anarchy prevailing in Bangladesh in recent days.
A police officer from Cooch Behar district confirmed the kidnap and the release.
The BSF, however, denied the incident. Moreover, it did not file any written complaint with the local police administration regarding this matter.
According to sources, the jawan, Ved Prakash, is a constable serving at the Arjun Camp of the 174th Battalion of the BSF, under the Kuchlibari police station area of Mekhliganj subdivision in Cooch Behar district.
The area from where he was reportedly kidnapped is around 110 kilometres from Cooch Behar town.
“It is alleged that the BSF jawan was abducted by Bangladeshi cattle rustlers early this (Sunday) morning while chasing them. Later, the rustlers handed the jawan over to the Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB),” a source said.
Sources said that early on Sunday morning, upon receiving information about cattle smuggling in the border area, jawan Prakash chased a group of smugglers.
Reportedly, under the cover of dense fog, the smugglers surrounded him and forcibly took him across the international border into Bangladesh.
The police officer who supplied this information wished to remain anonymous.
“We received information that a BSF constable was abducted by Bangladeshi criminals. However, the BSF did not officially lodge a complaint,” the police source said.
"The BGB handed over the BSF jawan to India by Sunday evening. Communication and discussions were on between the BSF and BGB the entire day followed by a flag meeting," the source said.
A source in the BSF, however, denied the incident. He claimed that the smugglers always try to steal cattle across the border when the areas are covered with thick fog early in the morning in winter and chasing them was the job of the BSF jawans.
“Chasing rustlers at the border area to prevent such crime is routine work during winter. All of our personnel at the border are safe,” the BSF source said.
Additional reporting by Bireswar Banerjee in Siliguri