Two BSF personnel arrested in Bengal's Bagda border on rape charge

Kolkata, Aug 27 (IANS) West Bengal police, on late Friday night, arrested two BSF personnel from an India-Bangladesh border outpost at Bagda in North 24 Parganas district of the state on charge of raping a woman.

The arrested persons include one Assistant Sub-Inspector, S.P. Chero and one constable, Atlaf Hossain. Both of them were attached to BSF's 68th battalion currently deputed at Bajitpur area in Bagda. Both will be presented at a district court on Saturday.

According to Bangaon district Superintendent of Police, Tarun Haldar, the incidence of rape happened late on Thursday night at a place near the barbed fencing at the Jitpur border. "The two accused spotted the 23-year-old victim. Thereafter, the accused BSF personnel dragged her at a nearby gourd cultivation field, raped her and left her there in an unconscious state," Haldar said.

He added that on Friday evening, the victim along with her family members lodged a complaint at the local police station. Then late on Friday night, the two accused personnel of BSF were arrested.

The police are also investigating why the victim went near the border near Jitpur. Police sources said that in all probability, she was trying to cross the border when she was spotted by the two BSF personnel.

The office of the Eastern Command of BSF has also been informed of the development, which has sought a detailed report from the district police authorities on this count.

Meanwhile, political mud-slinging has started over the development as BJP national vice president and the party Lok Sabha member, Dilip Ghosh has expressed doubts over the authenticity of the rape charge against the two arrested BSF personnel. "If true, this is a matter of utter shame. But we have to remember that false allegations of rape are raised against the army personnel posted at the Jammu & Kashmir borders," Ghosh said.

Senior Trinamool Congress MLA, Tapas Roy said that making ridiculous attempts to swim against the wave has become a habit of Ghosh. "But it is unfortunate that the rape of woman does not impact him and he indirectly tries to defend the accused," Roy said.

BSF had been a point of confrontation between the Union and West Bengal government since the time the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, extended the operational jurisdiction of BSF to 50 kilometres within the borders. At that point of time, senior Trinamool Congress legislator and the current North Bengal development minister, Udayan Guha even accused BSF personnel of molesting women in the name of frisking.