12 Jalpaiguri: An Indian man was shot dead by the BSF on the India-Bangladesh border at Gitaldaha in Cooch Behar's Dinhata on Thursday, sparking a row as locals and a state minister claimed he was only roaming around the village when he was shot. According to BSF, however, the deceased Jahanor Haque was trying to help Bangladeshi smugglers bring psychotropic substances into India.
North Bengal development minister Udayan Guha claimed that Haque was a migrant labourer who had recently come to the village to celebrate Eid with his family. BSF, however, rubbished the allegations and said that at 5am on Thursday, a jawan had spotted a group of smugglers attempting to breach the border fence and shot in self-defence when the smugglers attacked him. In the firing, Haque died.
"The incident highlights the BSF's continued vigilance and determination to prevent illegal cross-border activities that pose significant threats to national security," a press release from the border agency read.