Das’s family members break down in front of the district magistrate and the police chief on Friday. Picture by Ramen Mondal

Hili (South Dinajpur), July 25: The body of a fisherman, who went missing from Bhimpur on the India-Bangladesh border on Tuesday, was found this morning floating in a creek of the Ichhamati river, 26km from his village.

The dead man’s hands and feet were tied.

Suman Das’s wife and neighbours in Bhimpur, Hili, have claimed that BSF jawans picked him up on suspicion of being a smuggler and took him to their camp before beating him to death. The jawans then hid the body, they alleged.

Police said residents of Pirozpur-Gobindopur village in the adjacent block of Kumarganj found the body this morning.

“The hands and feet were tied. Although the body had decomposed and there were multiple injuries on the face, Suman Das’s relatives identified him by the lungi he wore,” said an officer.

The South Dinajpur district secretary of the CPM, Manabesh Chowdhury, came down heavily on the BSF. “Despite our repeated protests against the terror unleashed on border villagers, the force keeps taking innocent lives.”

South Dinajpur district magistrate Swapan Kumar Chatterjee and police superintendent Kalyan Kumar Mullick visited Das’s house today.

“We have taken up the matter with the BSF at the highest level and have asked for a complete report from the force about the movement of its officers and jawans at the Hili camp on Tuesday. The criminal investigation department has also started an inquiry,” Mullick said.

Das’s father, Madhu, and wife, Dolly, said they would write to the state and central human rights commissions for redressal. “I have three children. Who will provide for them now?” Dolly asked.

The deputy inspector-general of the BSF, Malda range, Prabhat Singh Tomar, said an internal inquiry had been started and anyone found guilty would be punished.