Shillong, Aug 9: In a massive border security breach, suspected Bangladeshi police and criminals entered Indian Territory and attacked Indian villagers in South West Khasi Hills district along the Indo-Bangladesh border, leaving a person injured.
Police said the incident happened in Rongdangai village under Nongjri-Nongkhyllam area at around 1 am on Friday.
South West Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Banraplang Jyrwa said around nine unknown persons first attacked a 21-year old youth, Balsrang A Marak, who was sleeping inside a shop, and with a gun on his head he was forced to name the shop owner.
Later, he was handcuffed with a gamocha (kind of scarf) and taken towards New Rongdangai village. “The miscreants were discussing how to slit his throat and kill him. However while moving 6-7 miscreants were walking slowly behind , seeing the situation the victim slowly slid his hand tied by gamocha and ran away to one house and locked the door from inside,” Jyrwa said.
The miscreants who pursued Balsrang to the house also assaulted him there.
Later, the police recovered several items including an ID of a Bangladesh police constable at the site of the incident, handcuffs, a magazine cover, a pistol holster, radio sets, mobile phones, face masks, an axe, a wire cutter, Bangladesh currency, and other items.
Meanwhile, four suspected Bangladeshis were arrested during a joint operation of the Border Security Force (BSF) and Police. Security forces are combing the area to apprehend the remaining Bangladeshis.
Videos of the four Bangladeshis caught have been released by the BSF and at least one of them was assaulted by angry villagers before being handed over to security forces.
The four have been identified as Mefus Rahman (35), a resident of Debidar area, Cummila district of Bangladesh, Jangir Along (25), a resident of Kaziar Char under Jamalpur police station in Sadar Jamalpur district, Meruphur Rahman (32), of Namapara, under Madargoan police station, Jamalpur district and Saem Hussain (30), a resident of Mizmizi under Siddirgonj police station, Narayangonj district.
The capture of the Bangladeshi nationals illegally entering India through Meghalaya although common, but this time around, the recovery of items like radio sets, handcuffs, a magazine cover, a pistol holster and an ID of a cop is raising more questions of their motive.
Police said one of the intruders told them that he was hunting geckos, and three others said they were members of the Awami League, and they wanted to take refuge in India.
From their looks it does not seem that these four intruders entered India to seek employment or better opportunities and the authorities have to ascertain their motive.
This remote village is about 8-10 km from the Bangladesh border and falls under Nongjri–Nonghyllam in the district.
Several areas there remain unfenced due to the terrain like water bodies, forest and hills. Jyrwa said the Bangladeshis could have sneaked across through these porous borders swimming across or entered through culverts.
In another border security breach, suspected armed Bangladeshis forcibly entered Khunjoy. Police led by OC Nonghyllam launched an operation but the suspects managed to escape after two rounds were fired in the air.
Moreover, in the same district eight suspected Bangladeshis entered into a stone quarry at Bagli on August 7 at about 1 am, sources said. Police getting wind of the infiltration conducted a search operation and located them, but they too managed to flee.
Recently, there were reports that Bangladeshis entered Indian territory to steal coal in the same district.
Earlier this week, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma had said there has been substantial progress in fencing work along the Indo-Bangladesh border with another 40 km remaining unfinished, which poses a potential risk for cross-border movement.
