Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) strongly condemned the killing of a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel who was shot dead by India's Border Security Force (BSF) in the Benapole border area in Jessore.
It was reported that early on January 22, cattle smugglers from India and Bangladesh were trying to cross the border with huge number of cattle from India to Bangladesh at the Sutia Bazar area under Bongaon police station of 24 Parganas (North) district of West Bengal, said a press release issued on Thursday.
There is no fencing in the area and the river Kotla is the demarcated border between the countries. The river is dried up and full of mud these days.
The two counterparts of bordering guards made contradictory statements, while the Indian Border Security Force alleged that the deceased was involved in cattle smuggling at the time of the incident, while the Border Guard Bangladesh said that the Sepoy attached with Border Guard Bangladesh, Mohammed Raisuddin tried to capture cross border smugglers and, in this course, separated from his colleagues and unintentionally crossed the border, and in thick fog, BSF fired upon him.
According to MASUM’s fact-finding, when BSF personnel intercepted the smugglers, they fled from the scene leaving the herd of cattle and BGB personnel from the Dhannyakhola outpost came to the spot and took a few cattle with them while the rest of the cattle were taken into their custody by personnel of Sutia BOP of 107 BSF Battalion.
Raisuddin received a bullet in his abdomen.
BSF personnel of the outpost tried to move him to Bongaon SD Hospital when the deceased divulged his identity as BGB personal.
It was reported that he was brought dead to the hospital. Later, a criminal case was lodged against the deceased Raisuddin with Sub Inspector of Bongaon PS Sujit Das as the investigating officer of the case.
Police did an inquest over the body on January 22, and later the sub divisional officer made another inquest on January 23.
A post-mortem examination was completed on January 22 at Bongaon SD Hospital. The incident once again proves trigger happy characteristics of the border guards of India; the BSF, said MASUM in a press release.
“The Border Security Force authority cannot be given the right to behave as the executioner. Most important part is that though the deceased was a BGB personal but there was no evidence that he has made any attack to the BSF personnel during the whole incident. The higher-ups of BGB categorically said that from BGB did not use any single bullet in the incident. Border Security Force personnel with the help of firearms fired at him and killed him and it was not a retaliatory action. In this case, instead of arresting the person and handing him over to the police, the Border Security Force personnel fired him to death. In no circumstances, involvement in cross border smuggling or illegal entry to India attract death penalty,” they added.
One inquest was done over the body of deceased by SDO, Bongaon even after the autopsy was over; which is grossly illegal and against the criminal procedure.
MASUM further emphasized that the incident violated the rights guaranteed in Article 21 of Indian Constitution, to every person inside the Indian territory and the premise of Article 2 and 6 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, an international instrument; the government of India is a party and have agreement.
The perpetrators also violated the Article 2, 3 and 8 of Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials; Adopted by General Assembly resolution 34/169 of 17 December 1979 This act violated the basic premise of The Geneva Convention.
“We demand for an independent enquiry over the incident conducted jointly by the National Human Rights Commission of India and Jatiya Manabadhikar Commission of Bangladesh, which will serve the interests of both the countries. We call upon international human rights communities to come up and protest against systematic killings by Border Security Force personnel and subsequent impunity,” the statement added.
