BSF jawans in row over death of 3 tribals in Tripura

An inquiry was on Saturday ordered by the BSF after its personnel were caught in a row with locals in Tripura over the killing of three civilians, who had protested a molestation bid by some paramilitary personnel.

The BSF said that the three civilians, including a woman, were engaged in cattle smuggling and had attacked the jawans who opened fire in “self-defence”, a claim rejected by the local people, who alleged that the paramilitary jawans were trying to molest a tribal woman at Bhangamura in South Tripura.

Stepping in, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has sought a detailed report from the BSF Chief K K Sharma on the incident, officials said in New Delhi.

In a statement, the Border Security Force (BSF) claimed that its personnel posted along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Tripura Frontier on Friday observed 30-40 smugglers including men and women, trying to smuggle cattle from India to Bangladesh through unfenced gap near BOP Bhangamura. The local police has denied it.

The BSF claimed that its personnel challenged the group and fired two warning shots in the air to disperse the smugglers, who instead encircled the paramilitary party and “attacked them with ‘dah’ and ‘lathis’”.

“Sensing their life in danger, the BSF party fired in self-defence, in which three smugglers died. Firing was the  last resort available to troopers.”
PTI