A scuffle broke out between the Border Security Force (BSF) and villagers allegedly with the help of Bangladeshis at Kuliang close to the international border, under East Jaintia Hills district last night.
An allegation of molestation against the BSF on a 15 year old girl has also emerged from the incident. The mother has lodged an FIR at the Umkiang Police Patrol Post.
However, differing narratives have emerged from the incident, which is not the first in recent times.
While the BSF claimed that the villagers were helping 30-35 Bangladeshi smugglers, who managed to enter India through an unfenced area, in despatching sugar to Bangladesh, the woman alleged that the border guards forcefully entered her home and beat up her husband and molested her daughter.
A video showing the scuffle was also attached with the FIR.
An official statement said that the BSF found Bangladeshi smugglers facilitated by local villagers to receive sugar consignments at around 10 pm on June 19.
When the special team of the BSF reached, the Bangladeshi miscreants attempted to flee towards Kuliang village. During the pursuit, the BSF was confronted by local villagers in order to give safe passage to the Bangladeshi smugglers, who jointly began pelting stones on BSF personnel and hurled abusive language and threats.
“An Indian woman attacked a BSF person with an axe, resulting in an injury on his right hand. Another BSF person sustained injury in his left hand due to stone pelting,” the BSF said.
The situation was promptly reported to the local police patrol post –Umkiang under Lumshnong police station, the BSF added.
The woman on the other hand, accused the BSF of forceful entry into her home at 11:30 pm. She stated that three people, who claimed to be BSF with no uniform on, attacked her husband without any provocation with an axe they took from her house and a knife they brought.
“I and my daughter, tried to snatch the axe but we were overpowered by these criminals. Thereafter they pulled my husband outside and they continued to attack him mercilessly till his rib was broken. We did try to save him from the attack but we were overpowered by them and after they attacked us, they left our house,” she stated.
According to her, the three BSF personnel came back at around 12:30 am along with a group of 15 people and again assaulted her husband. This time, she said, her daughter was groped, touched and molested and she too was hurt after she was kicked.
“These people thereafter threatened to shoot us with their guns and even pointed their guns towards us but we pleaded not to shoot. While leaving, they threatened my daughter and told that they will see her when she comes to Umkiang,” she said.
