Indian youth shot dead by BSF near India-Bangladesh border in Tripura

A 23-year-old Indian man was shot dead by Border Security Force (BSF) personnel near the India-Bangladesh border in South Tripura district after a scuffle with a group of cattle smugglers, police said on Tuesday.

According to the police, BSF troops stopped a group of cattle smugglers at Devipur village on Monday when they were trying to smuggle cattle into Bangladesh, reports Indian Express.

An altercation broke out between the BSF troops and the cattle smugglers which turned into a scuffle and the BSF personnel opened fire.

One person, identified as Jashim Mian, suffered injuries and died at a hospital later, they said.

Khalek Mian, the father of Jashim Mian, alleged that BSF personnel abused him when he had gone near the border for tending cow and when his son rushed to the spot to save him, an altercation ensued and the BSF personnel opened fire.

The villagers rushed Jashim Mian to the Belonia sub-division hospital.

The villagers claimed that Jashim Mian was a graduate from Belonia College and had nothing to do with cattle smuggling or any illegal activities and that the incident occurred far from the international border.

However, the BSF in a press statement on Monday night said that a group of seven-eight cattle smugglers were damaging border pillars with an intention to smuggle cattle and when BSF troops tried to resist the smugglers attacked them with lathi and matchet, which resulted in serious injuries to one jawan.

Meanwhile, a large crowd gathered encircling the BSF troops, and sensing danger they opened fire from Pump Action Gun (PAG) resulting in the injury of one person who died in hospital, it said.