A suspected Indian smuggler suffered injuries when a BSF jawan fired pellets in “self-defence” on being allegedly attacked by an armed group on Sunday morning while preventing a cough syrup smuggling attempt along a porous riverine border in North 24-Parganas.

Police identified him as Shahabuddin Biswas, 35, of Swarupnagar in North 24-Parganas, allegedly part of a group smuggling Phensedyl to Bangladesh.

The incident took place near the international border at Govindapur village of Swarupnagar. The BSF also recovered 787 Phensedyl bottles.

Shahabuddin suffered eye injuries from pellets fired by a non-lethal pump-action gun (PAG), sources said. Taken to a rural hospital, he was later shifted to a hospital in Calcutta.

The incident occurred a day after the Jalpaiguri case, where a Bangladeshi smuggler was shot dead by BSF personnel in self-defence.

BSF sources said Sunday’s incident occurred around 5.30am near the Kalanchi outpost along the Ichhamati river.

A BSF source said around five alleged smugglers were seen moving toward the border through the river.

“The jawan near the area confronted smugglers with courage and threw a stun grenade. The smugglers retaliated, attacking him with sharp weapons,” a BSF
officer said.

Then, the jawan fired a round from his PAG.

BSF South Bengal Frontier’s spokesperson and DIG Nilotpal Kumar Pandey said: “Sensing a threat to his life, he fired a round from his PAG, injuring one Indian smuggler. The others managed to escape under the cover of fog and thick bushes along the riverbank.”

Two sacks of Phensedyl bottles and a sharp weapon were found on the spot. The BSF lodged an FIR. The seized contraband was handed over to Customs.