Agartala, Nov. 30: Tension was reported from Amzad Nagar village in South Tripura’s Belonia subdivision after the killing of a villager, Khoka Mia, who was ostensibly trying to save his teenaged daughter from being raped by patrolling BSF jawans.
However, DIG (BSF) A.K. Singh blamed the slain man’s son, allegedly a smuggler, for the death.
Sub-divisional officer (Belonia) Ashok Kumar Sinha said according to the FIR filed by the victim’s family, his daughter Anwara Khatun, 16, was moving along the border road near Amzad Nagar village around 1pm when three unidentified BSF jawans patrolling the border road allegedly tried to rape her.
When the girl screamed for help, Khoka, her brothers Badsha Mia and Abul Kalam rushed to the spot.
“The FIR filed by Khoka’s wife, Ambiya Khatun, and son Abul Kalam alleged that after the girl was rescued, they had a blazing row with the BSF jawans who shot Khoka at point blank range. Badsha also sustained injuries and is under treatment at Belonia sub-divisional hospital. Khoka died in the vehicle in which he was being carried to Agartala,” said Sinha.
“Trouble is that the complainants failed to name the BSF jawans. There is a definite procedure to be followed while taking action against paramilitary forces, specially the BSF, which has got concurrent jurisdiction over 1km from the zero line,” said Sinha.
However, the BSF authorities dismissed the allegation about rape attempt on the teenaged girl as rubbish.
BSF DIG Singh said the victim and his two sons were smugglers.
“Our jawans spotted Abul talking over a mobile with his Bangladeshi counterparts with a Bangladeshi SIM but when challenged Abul turned violent and tried to wriggle out, our jawans might have slapped him. Hearing his cries his father Khoka Mia and elder brother Badsha rushed to the spot and attacked the BSF jawans. In order to save themselves one of the jawans might have fired and Khoka died later,” said Singh who visited the spot this morning.
Singh said a departmental inquiry would be conducted into the case.
