SHILLONG:
Hours after residents of Umsyiem village near Dawki alleged the personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) of high-handedness, the paramilitary force contradicted their claims and said that some people, suspected to be smugglers, threw stones at troops of the 4th Battalion deployed at Standing Patrol Base Old Umsyiem after they detected movement of miscreants on the Dawki-Pynursla road near International Border on June 25 evening.
According to the BSF, after pelting stones at the personnel, the miscreants fled and on searching the area, they recovered bundles of sarees worth Rs 50,000.
“On the same day, BSF also foiled another smuggling attempt by seizing clothing items worth Rs 2,21,000 from the same border area,” a press communique from the BSF read.
It further stated that after a while, some miscreants gathered near the post, entered inside and started pelting stones and empty beer bottles toward BSF troops. “The Post commander tried to pacify a group of miscreants but they did not stop pelting stones and bottles,” the release read.
It was also informed that two BSF personnel sustained injuries. “Sensing danger to life and property, BSF personnel fired four rounds in the air. The SHO PS Pynursla was informed; and accordingly, the police party reached the spot, and the situation was brought under control. No injury to a civil person was reported in the BSF firing,” it said.
It was earlier reported that some of the residents of Umsyiem near Dawki were injured after being attacked, allegedly by drunk BSF personnel on June 25 evening. This prompted angry youths to resort to pelting stones at the BSF camp situated at Umsyiem which led the latter to fire shots in the air to disperse the crowd.
The BSF has stated that a similar type of incident took place on June 5 in the same area where troops seized clothing items worth more than Rs 1 lakh and at that time too, miscreants pelted stones on BSF troops in which one BSF person sustained head injury.
“The Umsyiem area is frequently exploited by smugglers to smuggle cattle heads, clothing items, cosmetics, and other contraband items to Bangladesh and many smuggling syndicates are active in the area who try to derail peace in the border area just for their own vested interest,” the release stated.